cmd-o.net

Google 101: Hypocrisy at its Finest

2011-08-06T01:20:00.001-05:00

Let us rewind back to a little over a month ago. Nortel, who filed for bankruptcy back in 2009, put its remaining patents portfolio up on the auction block.¹ A number of big named companies bid for the patents, including Google and Intel among others, with the final bid awarded to an alliance of tech companies consisting of Apple, Microsoft, RIM, Sony Ericsson, and EMC. The portfolio sold for about $4.5 billion in cash, which is far more than the patents were actually worth. But hey, that's what an auction is for, right?

Though Google was not a winner in the bid for Nortel's patents, they did get a series of press mentions for the manner in which they placed their bids.² Initial confusion arose over the figures Google chose, such as $1,902,160,5400, $2,614,972,128, and $3,141,592,653. You may recognize the last figure as being the first 7 digits of Pi, though it turns out that all of Google's bids were references to mathematical constants. While such behavior is no surprise to anyone who is familiar with Google's geeky culture, some analysts wondered if Google was not taking the auction serious, and thus making a mockery with their bids.

Fast forward to a month later, when Senior VP and CLO of Google, David Drummond, published a post on Google's official blog, chastising Apple and Microsoft for their participation in the auction.³ Drummond made a claim that Google's Android mobile operating system is a victim of a hostile, organized campaign [...] waged through bogus patents. Evidence of such exists in the fact that Microsoft is now demanding that Samsung⁴ and Barnes & Noble⁵ among others, pay royalties for each Android smartphone that it sells, due to patent infringement. A similar demand was awarded to Microsoft last year, after striking a deal with HTC, ensuring that Microsoft receives royalties for every unit sold.⁶ As irony would have it, Microsoft now makes more money from the sales of Android phones than from mobile handsets running the Windows Phone OS.⁷

Google is crying foul over the fact that these royalty demands are adding costs to what is intended to be a free operating system. Such cost narrows the advantage that Android has over the competition, and will very likely be passed down to the consumer. However, where the hypocrisy lies is in the fact that Google is publicly calling out its competition over a practice that has been excepted and protected by the courts, and deemed as fair game. Google is running a smear campaign based on the fact that it intentionally picked the short end of the stick.

No one will argue that the patent system is broken. Especially when it comes to software patents, that can sometimes be uncomfortably broad and all-encompassing. What was once a means of protecting hard work and creativity from being copied by others, the patent system has been transformed into an aggressive means of establishing dominance and stifling competition. While Google should indeed be applauded for it's resistance to build a significant patent portfolio throughout its years due to the flaws of the system, it should not cry foul when its political stance comes back to bite them.

Google also criticized the alliance for their anti-competitive strategy,[...] escalating the cost of patents way beyond what they're really worth. The $4.5 billion winning bid was four and half times larger than the pre-auction estimate. However, not only is Google being hypocritical in that it was in fact a participant of the auction, but also that it was Google's very own bids that drove the price so high. Nobody forced them to bid Pi.

Since then, Google has since acquired a number of patents from IBM,⁸ and is currently eyeing InterDigital's portfolio.⁹ Let us not ignore the biggest aspect of hypocrisy in Google's claims: the fact that it was invited to join the alliance of tech companies bidding for the patents, before the auction even took place. Microsoft's General Counsel, Brad Smith recently called out Google, stating that, "We asked them to bid jointly with us. They said no."¹⁰ Google would argue that its bids for the patent portfolio was a defensive maneuver to protect itself from such attacks, and that joining the alliance would place Google in a position where it would be unable to do so. However, the fact remains, whether playing offense or defense, you are still choosing to play the game. And, who are you to blame the competitor when your strategy backfires? If the Boston Red Sox decide to play a defensive game against the Yankees, both teams are still playing Baseball, and it's only fair when the Yankees win.

The argument of what is fair or not is a truly subjective one. Has Google been playing fair during its rise to dominance? Was it fair when Google undermined Microsoft's core products, an operating system and office suite, and handed it out for free? Was Google being fair when it restructured its original Android design to make it more similar to Apple's iPhone, and again handed it out for free? What gives Google the right to infringe on a number of patents and get away with it, when the rest of the industry has to play by the rules or pay the price? Sure, the rules are unfair and biased, but that is the way the game is played. You, Google, chose to play in this game.

1. http://nytimes.com/nortel-patents
2. http://reuters.com/2011/07/02
3. http://googleblog.com/2011/08
4. http://reuters.com/2011/07/06
5. http://businessinsider.com/bn-suit

6. http://businessinsider.com/htc-suit
7. http://twitter.com/asymco
8. http://bloomberg.com/2011-07-29
9. http://bloomberg.com/2011-08-03
10. http:/twitter.com/BradSmi

Gaming PC Build: 2011 Edition

2011-07-31T15:54:00.013-05:00

If you ask me, right now is a great time to build a PC. Even if you have no intention of breaking the bank, you can still configure a respectable gaming tower. There are some great technologies to take advantage of, such as Intel's Sandy Bridge¹ and Nvidia's Cuda² architectures, that will ensure you will be able to run any game on the market today without compromise. Just recently, I configured what I consider to be a high-end mid-range gaming PC utilizing these technologies. Without further adieu, here is what I put in my PC build:

Intel Core i5-2500K³ - Not a top of the line Core i7, but easily over-clockable and more than sufficient to handle any tasks thrown at it. If building a PC today, I would not go any lower than quad-core.

Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3-iSSD⁴ - The Z68 motherboards are the first to take full advantage of the Sandy Bridge's potential. While there are more inexpensive alternatives on the market, this mobo in particular includes a 20 GB mSata SSD, ripe for the SRT picking.

EVGA Geforce GTX 560 TI⁵ - The first Nvidia graphics card with all cores of the Fermi architecture unlocked. A significant performance boost can be achieved by adding a second card i SLI. However, even one card can adequately handle anything thrown at it today.

Kingston HyperX 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3 1600⁶ - With the amount of memory you get for the price, this is really a no-brainer. The cost was around $50, after a $25 mail-in rebate and $10 instant discount. At the time of this posting, the asking price is $50 without any rebates or discounts. Another 8 GB of memory can be added down the road, as the Z68 mother board supports four slots totaling 16 GB.

Cooler Master Nvidia Edition Tower and 750 W Power Supply - Weighing in at about $50 and $100, respectively, and built with SLI gaming in mind.

Intel X25-M 120 GB SSD and Western Digital 7200 RPM Caviar Black 2 TB HDD - Configured with the OS and most apps booting from the SSD, while games and media is placed on the mechanical drive. I pulled the X25-M from a notebook and used the included 3.5" enclosure to install it into the tower.

Asus Blu-Ray Optical Drive - Not a writer, as I don't plan on burning any Blu-rays in the immediate future. However, a reader is all that is required in order to rip Blu-rays to your hard drive.

Windows 7 Professional 64-bit - If you intend to do any serious gaming whatsoever, Windows 7 is still the way to go. Also, 64-bit is a must if you want to utilize more than 4 GB of memory.

There you have it, the main components that I hand-picked to lead me through my PC gaming endeavors for the time being. It would be hard to determine an exact total price point, as I didn't even mention a display, keyboard, mouse, etc., all of which I already owned. However, it is very easy to go in either direction with each component to meet your budget accordingly.

1. http://intel.com/sandy-bridge
2. http://nvidia.com/cuda
3. http://intel.com/2500k

4. http://gigabyte.com/z68
5. http://nvidia.com/560ti
6. http://newegg.com/kingston

The Kill Screens: Science Fiction Movie Album Review

2011-07-10T00:19:00.010-05:00

The wait is over. The demand for this album has been building ever since The Kill Screens¹ provided the soundtrack for an iOS game, Tomato Interactive’s² Blokzilla³. It is no coincidence that they were introduced in such a fashion, as the music in this album is heavily influenced from video games. Some of the instrumentals sound like they were plucked out of a 16-bit role playing game, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. As a child of the late 80’s/early 90’s, the album’s backdrop certainly provided a sense of nostalgia for me. Don’t get me wrong, the music is not simple by any means, it is clear that Matt McCarthy and John Jacobson took their time to perfect every second of the album. The melodies are entrancing, the timing is impeccable, and the lyrics are just deep enough. It is not often that I can play an album from front to back without skipping a track, but this album fits the bill. Each individual track stands out on its own, yet the entire album flows together quite nicely. It’s difficult to choose my favorite track, probably a tie between Runaway, Breathe, and Spacewalk. Either way, you owe it yourself to purchase this album, put on a good pair of headphones, and drift away to another world.

iTunes Link
Amazon Link

1. http://thekillscreens.com/
2. http://tomatointeractive.com/

3. http://itunes.apple.com/blokzilla

Ten Ways to Tell If Your Neighbor is Osama bin Laden

2011-05-04T00:05:00.007-05:00

10. The wifi access point next door reads: "Al Qaeda 4 Lyfe"
9. As a welcoming gift, your neighbor brought you an apple pie with wires and a cell phone attached to it.
8. When you refused to eat the pie, you were called an infidel.
7. You caught a glimpse of yourself mowing the lawn in the background of his latest video.
6. He introduced his son to you as his 21st child from his 7th marriage.
5. You keep accidentally receiving mail addressed to Guy Incognito.
4. A sniper took out your TV while you were watching President Obama's state of the union address.
3. When the paperboy tossed him a newspaper, his wife dove to protect him.
2. Repeated Craigslist personal ads seeking 72 virgins.

And the number one way to tell if your neighbor is Osama bin Laden...

1. The helicopters landing on your roof at 1 AM.

So, What’s Been Up?

2011-03-12T03:23:00.005-06:00

It seems like every year it takes me a few months to get out of my blogging slump. Maybe it’s because after New Years I’m all gung ho to tackle life and grab the bull by the horns. No time for distractions, such as updating this lovely, yet reward-less site. Well without further adieu, here’s what I have been up to lately.

I switched jobs at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately due to the nature of the position, I can’t get into great detail about what it entails. However, I can state that it’s still within the field of IT and I am again working with the US military. I had thought that particular chapter of my life was over once my enlistment contract ended back in ‘08. Though it feels weird, it is great to be back at the place that I spent so many years of my life and to be able to contribute to the cause as a whole.

My school load has increased quite a bit. Instead of taking one class at a time, I am now taking three a semester. Fortunately the chunk of classes I have left before I graduate are all IT related, so pretty much a cake walk for me.

I have been utilizing the lovely service called Netflix to catch up on a couple of TV shows. The first being Breaking Bad, which aired on AMC. The show just wrapped up its third season this past summer, and the first two seasons are available on DVD. If you are unfamiliar with the plotline, it is about a cancer stricken chemistry teacher who seeks financial salvation by going into the Meth business with one of his former students. Just don’t tell his family or brother-in-law, whom is a DEA agent. I would classify this show as a mixture of The Sopranos, Weeds, and Mad Men. It is a definite must watch, as each episode kept me very interested in the storyline and always left me wanting more.

The second show I have begun watching via Netflix is a series called Being Human. The American version of Being Human is currently in it’s first season, airing on the Syfy channel. What I have been watching is the UK version of the series, which is in it’s third season on the BBC.Though its premise seems silly: a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost sharing an apartment together, it is actually well written and the plotline is quite captivating. Each of the main characters has their personal issues to deal with: a vampire’s bloodlust, a werewolf’s curse, a ghost seeking resolution, all while trying to fit in with society, hence being human. I will say that this show is also a must watch, sci fi fanatic or not.

After having sided exclusively with the Xbox 360 for the entirety of the current console wars up until now, I have finally broken down and purchased a Sony Playstation 3. While I never had anything personal against the PS3, I just never felt that there was enough incentive to purchase one. Not when the 360 was fulfilling my gaming needs just fine. However, lately I have noticed that the majority of compelling console exclusive games have come out for the PS3 and very little have been released for the 360. I no longer had a legitimate reason not to buy a PS3.

So, I purchased a PS3 w/ Move bundle. I also picked up three games at the time: Heavy Rain, Modnation Racers, and Little Big Planet 2. The first game I played (after about three hours of patching) was Heavy Rain. My first impression of this game was that it was undeniably like nothing I have ever experienced before. It is a beautiful game and the control mechanism was out of this world. Unfortunately the novelty wears off rather quickly. While the storyline is unquestionably compelling, the game overall just isn’t very fun. I reached the ending in just a couple of days, and while there is a replayability factor, I just haven’t felt compelled to go back just yet.

I have been spending quite a bit of time playing Modnation Racers. This game is not new by any means, but it is fun as hell. I have always been a big fan of the Mario Kart series, and MK 64 is probably one my favorite games of all time. Modnation Racers takes the kart racing concept and amplifies it tenfold. What impresses me most about the game is that due to the embracement of player created content, the game is almost forever expandable. There is just so much to do and so many races to compete in. It seems that if I ever get tired of this game, it will not be for the lack of variety.

Meanwhile, regrettably, Little Big Planet 2 Is still in the shrink wrap. However, it should be noted that all of the games I own for the PS3 are console exclusives.

When I purchased the PS3, I also pre-ordered Killzone 3 and the Sharp Shooter accessory. While the plastic rifle seems a tad gimmicky, it actually adds a whole different immersive experience to the first person shooter genre. The PS3 Move is so accurately tracked that every movement is portrayed properly on screen. The buttons on the Move controller are actually remapped onto the rifle, providing a well thought out game play element. If you are getting bored of all these first person shooters that seem to dominate the consoles, you can definitely spice things up with the sharp shooter accessory. I am looking forward to SOCOM 4, which also takes advantage of it.

Speaking of the PS3, it took me a couple of weeks to realize that I now owned a Blu-Ray player. I made a pit stop at a Red Box and rented a few movies in the format. The first I watched was Takers, which is a heist movie featuring Edris Alba, T.I., Paul Walker, and a bunch of other familiar faces. Definitely worth a rental, but not life altering by any means. The second movie I watched was The American with George Clooney. I found myself really into this movie, I loved the acting, the mood, and the whole vibe of it. Though it seems to have gotten low ratings online, so watch at your own risk. The third and last movie I watched on Blu-Ray was Despicable Me. Though it was visually beautiful and a cute story overall, it did seem to run on a bit long. And, I had a hard time of listening to Steve Carrel’s voice and not picturing Michael Scott in my head. Overall, it’s a safe rental.

A couple more quick things to touch on, I did install a Solid State Drive (Intel X25-M) into my MacBook Pro. I do intend on writing about this more in depth in the future, though I will say that if you can afford the reduction of internal storage, the upgrade is well worth it.

I also had the opportunity to visit a Microsoft Retail store in Oakbrook, IL. I also intend to write about this in the near future, so I will just say that I was quite impressed by the experience. While it can fairly be referred to as a clone of the Apple retail stores, it can be safely viewed as a genetically modified clone. It is bigger, brighter, and offers more variety than it’s predecessor. If you have one in driving distance, do yourself a favor and pay it a visit.

Quick shoutout to JW Andrews and Shawn Freeman of the Knuckleball podcast, who were kind enough to let me co-host a couple of episodes so far. It’s a great general topic podcast and you should absolutely check them out.

Well for the sake of preventing this post from getting too long, I shall wrap things up now. If anything, I’m hoping this entry serves its purpose by pulling me out of my blogging slump and that I can now start posting more regularly. Until then, farewell and Namaste.

Apple: A Timeline of Press Releases Part 3

2010-12-24T13:12:00.005-06:00

This is the final entry of a 3 part series, taking a look back at the past decade of Apple press releases. Part one can be found here, part two can be found here. While the first two entries covered the most important announcements of the decade, this entry takes a look at the obscure, yet equally notable press releases:

Apple cancels Apple Expo 2001 (in wake of 9/11), Sept, 2001:

“We’re canceling Apple Expo in the wake of last week’s devastating and tragic events,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re sorry to disappoint our users and developers, but their safety is our primary concern.”

The conference was to be held in Paris on Sept 26, with focus on Mac OS X 10.1 and iDVD 2.

Apple and Motorola team up to bring iTunes to Mobile Phones, July, 2004:

“We can’t think of a more natural partnership than this one with Apple, the brand synonymous with easy-to-use, legal music downloading, and Motorola, the innovator in mobile technology,” said Ed Zander, Chairman and CEO, Motorola. “We are thrilled to be working with Motorola to enable millions of music lovers to transfer any of their favorite songs from iTunes on their PC or Mac to Motorola’s next-generation mobile phones,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO.

This partnership resulted in the flop known as the Rokr, which had a 100 song limitation. Currently, Apple and Motorola are in a law-suit battle over mobile phone patents.

Blu-ray Disc Association Welcomes Apple to Its Board of Directors, March, 2005:

“Apple is pleased to join the Blu-ray Disc Association board as part of our efforts to drive consumer adoption of HD,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Consumers are already creating stunning HD content with Apple’s leading video editing applications like iMovie HD and are anxiously awaiting a way to burn their own high def DVDs.”

Really, Apple? Almost 6 years later, where the hell is our Blu-Ray support?

Apple Announces iPod Hi-Fi, Feb 2006:

Apple® today announced iPod® Hi-Fi, an all-new high-fidelity speaker system that works seamlessly with the iPod to redefine the home stereo system. “Apple is reinventing the home stereo with the new iPod Hi-Fi, the first iPod accessory that adds true high-fidelity sound quality to the iPod,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPod Hi-Fi’s unrivaled acoustic performance and stunning design is at home in any room in the house.”

Speaking of flops, this speaker system was overpriced and lacked an AM/FM radio. It was discontinued a year and a half later.

Mark Papermaster Joins Apple as Senior Vice President of Devices Hardware Engineering, Nov 2008:

Papermaster, who comes to Apple from IBM, will lead Apple’s iPod® and iPhone™ hardware engineering teams. Papermaster has 25 years of product and technology experience, and was previously a vice president at IBM. “Mark is a seasoned leader and is going to be an excellent addition to our senior management team,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO.

If the name rings a bell, Papermaster was the fall guy for the whole iPhone 4 Antenna-gate fiasco. This followed a legal battle with IBM over a non-compete clause. He lasted less than two years with Apple.

Letter from Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Jan 2009:

“For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote. Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed. […] So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this,” Steve

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Eric Schmidt Resigns from Apple’s Board of Directors, Aug 2009:

“Unfortunately, as Google enters more of Apple’s core businesses, with Android and now Chrome OS, Eric’s effectiveness as an Apple Board member will be significantly diminished, since he will have to recuse himself from even larger portions of our meetings due to potential conflicts of interest.” said Steve Jobs.

Letter from Apple Regarding iPhone 4, July 2010:

To start with, gripping almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by 1 or more bars. This is true of iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, as well as many Droid, Nokia and RIM phones. But some users have reported that iPhone 4 can drop 4 or 5 bars when tightly held in a way which covers the black strip in the lower left corner of the metal band. This is a far bigger drop than normal, and as a result some have accused the iPhone 4 of having a faulty antenna design.

Dubbed “Antenna-gate”, this incident was a engineering and public relations nightmare for Apple. To reconcile, Apple gave free bumpers to anyone who bought an iPhone 4, and also released a software update to fix incorrect reporting of cellular signal strength.

This concludes my three part series spanning a decade of Apple press releases. Again, part one can be found here, part two can be found here. Apple has undeniably made many technological strides in the past ten years. If rate of progression is any indication, I can’t even fathom what the company will have accomplished in another ten years.

Apple: A Timeline of Press Releases Part 2

2010-11-29T23:05:00.008-06:00

This entry is part 2 of a 3 part series, taking a look back at the past decade of press released from Apple. The first entry, covering the first half can be found here. This second entry covers the latter half of the decade:

Apple Introduces Boot Camp, April 5, 2006:

Apple® today introduced Boot Camp, public beta software that enables Intel-based Macs to run Windows XP

“Apple has no desire or plan to sell or support Windows, but many customers have expressed their interest to run Windows on Apple’s superior hardware now that we use Intel processors,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “We think Boot Camp makes the Mac even more appealing to Windows users considering making the switch.”

Perhaps one of the wisest decisions Apple has made in regard to user migration, and a no-brainer after the transition to Intel processors.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt joins Apple’s Board of Directors, August 29, 2006:

“Eric is obviously doing a terrific job as CEO of Google, and we look forward to his contributions as a member of Apple’s board of directors,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Like Apple, Google is very focused on innovation and we think Eric’s insights and experience will be very valuable in helping to guide Apple in the years ahead.”

"Apple is one of the companies in the world that I most admire,” said Eric Schmidt. “I'm really looking forward to working with Steve and Apple’s board to help with all of the amazing things Apple is doing.”

Unfortunately this partnership lasted less than three years, as conflicts of interests continuously arose, primarily competition in the mobile phone market.

Apple reinvents the phone with iPhone, January 9, 2007:

Apple® today introduced iPhone, combining three products—a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod® with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, searching and maps—into one small and lightweight handheld device.

“iPhone is a revolutionary and magical product that is literally five years ahead of any other mobile phone,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We are all born with the ultimate pointing device—our fingers—and iPhone uses them to create the most revolutionary user interface since the mouse.”

Incredibly tame by today’s standards, the original iPhone lacked many essential features, such as multitasking and copy and paste. Initially, the only applications available where a handful provided by Apple and Google. Yet and still, the iPhone provided the kick in the butt needed to begin real innovation in the mobile market.

Apple ships the AppleTV, March 21, 2007:

The seamless integration of Apple TV and iTunes lets users choose from over 400 movies and 350 TV shows in near DVD quality; over four million songs; 5,000 music videos; 100,000 podcasts; and 20,000 audiobooks from the iTunes Store.

“Apple TV is like a DVD player for the Internet age—providing an easy and fun way to play all your favorite iTunes content from your PC or Mac on your widescreen TV,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

Ah, the good ole days when standard definition content was still acceptable and media was still served locally.

Apple Introduces MacBook Air – Worlds Thinnest Notebook, Jan 15, 2008:

MacBook Air measures an unprecedented 0.16-inches at its thinnest point, while its maximum height of 0.76-inches is less than the thinnest point on competing notebooks […] powered by a 1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache, and includes as standard features 2GB of memory, an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive, and the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi technology and Bluetooth 2.1.

While undoubtedly incredibly thin, the original MacBook Air was underpowered and underwhelming. It also suffered from overheating issues.

Apple Introduces the iPhone 3G, June 9, 2008:

Apple® today introduced the new iPhone™ 3G, combining all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast* as the first generation iPhone, built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs the hundreds of third party applications already built with the recently released iPhone SDK.

“Just one year after launching the iPhone, we’re launching the new iPhone 3G that is twice as fast at half the price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO.

A true demonstration of how quickly technology evolves. The iPhone 3G was a major improvement over the original iPhone. Two years later, it is a dinosaur compared to the current iPhone 4.

Apple Unveils Mac OS X Snow Leopard, June 8, 2009:

For the first time, system applications including Finder, Mail, iCal®, iChat® and Safari are 64-bit and Snow Leopard’s support for 64-bit processors makes use of large amounts of RAM, increases performance, and improves security while remaining compatible with 32-bit applications.

“We’ve built on the success of Leopard and created an even better experience for our users from installation to shutdown,” said Bertrand Serlet, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “Apple engineers have made hundreds of improvements so with Snow Leopard your system is going to feel faster, more responsive and even more reliable than before.”

While Snow Leopard was certainly an evolutionary, not revolutionary upgrade to the Mac OS, it helped push crucial innovations, such as 64-bit computing and GPU hardware acceleration.

Apple Launches iPad, Jan 27, 2010:

Apple® today introduced iPad, a revolutionary device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and much more. iPad’s responsive high-resolution Multi-Touch™ display lets users physically interact with applications and content.

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

Apple Presents iPhone 4, June 7, 2010:

Apple® today presented the new iPhone® 4 featuring FaceTime, which makes the dream of video calling a reality, and Apple’s stunning new Retina display, the highest resolution display ever built into a phone, resulting in super crisp text, images and video

“iPhone 4 is the biggest leap since the original iPhone,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “FaceTime video calling sets a new standard for mobile communication, and our new Retina display is the highest resolution display ever in a phone, with text looking like it does on a fine printed page.”

The iPad was prematurely mocked as being a large iPod Touch, while the iPhone 4 was plagued with antenna engineering defect. Despite this, both products have sold remarkably well and continued the trend of setting precedence for mobile devices going forward.

This was post was part 2 of a 3 part series. To view the press releases of the first half of the decade, click here. To view the obscure, yet equally notable announcements, click here.

Apple: A Timeline of Press Releases Part 1

2010-07-30T21:48:00.021-05:00

One thing you can’t fault Apple for is their ability to archive and present a decade’s worth of press releases. A neat feature they provide is the ability to view the past 10 years of product announcements and milestones on their website. Personally, I wish they went back further. It would be nice to read the announcement of the Newton or Steve Jobs’ return. Without further adieu, here are some key press releases I picked in ascending order (my comments follow in italics):

Introduction of Mac OS X, Jan 5, 2000:

Steve Jobs demonstrated Mac OS X to an audience of over 4,000 people during his Macworld Expo keynote today, and over 100 developers have pledged their support for the new operating system, including Adobe and Microsoft. […] The new technology Aqua, created by Apple, is a major advancement in personal computer user interfaces. Aqua features the “Dock” — a revolutionary new way to organize everything from applications and documents to web sites and streaming video.

Fittingly, the Dock is probably the most out-dated feature of the present Mac OS.

Unveiling of a new iBook, PowerBook and Power Mac G4, Feb 16, 2000:

Featuring double the memory and hard drive size, all three new iBook models come standard with 64MB of memory and a 6GB hard drive. iBook Special Edition features a faster 366 MHz PowerPC G3 processor and, like iMac® DV Special Edition, comes in a stunning Graphite-color enclosure.

750,000 downloads of iTunes & release of iTunes 1.1, Feb 22, 2001:

With almost one million Mac users managing their digital music with iTunes, we are witnessing a revolution in digital music on the Mac,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iTunes 1.1 now supports over 25 third-party CD burners, so even more Mac users can create and burn their own custom music CDs

Ah, the growing pains of dealing with third-party hardware. Back when anything less than a million was still something to brag about.

Apple Presents iPod, October 23, 2001:

Apple® today introduced iPod™, a breakthrough MP3 music player that packs up to 1,000 CD-quality songs into an ultra-portable, 6.5 ounce design that fits in your pocket. […] “With iPod, Apple has invented a whole new category of digital music player that lets you put your entire music collection in your pocket and listen to it wherever you go,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “With iPod, listening to music will never be the same again.”

Retailing for the price of $399, about the price of an iPad by today’s conversion rates.
Apple launches an ad campaign featuring “Real People,” June 10, 2002:

“These are not actors—they’re real people who have switched from PCs to Macs, telling their story in their own words,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “More people are interested in switching from PCs to Macs than ever before, and we hope that hearing these successful switchers tell their story will help others make the jump.”

New iPod models and support for Windows XP, July 17, 2002:

“The award-winning iPod now comes in models that are more affordable, thinner and hold up to 4,000 songs in your pocket,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “But the biggest news is that we’re bringing the iPod to Windows users, so they can join this amazing portable digital music revolution.”

It wasn’t until Windows support that the iPod finally took off. The rest as they say, was history.

Launch of the iTunes Music Store, April 28, 2003:

The iTunes Music Store offers groundbreaking personal use rights, including burning songs onto an unlimited number of CDs for personal use, listening to songs on an unlimited number of iPods, playing songs on up to three Macintosh® computers, and using songs in any application on the Mac®, including iPhoto™, iMovie™ and iDVD™.[…] “Consumers don’t want to be treated like criminals and artists don't want their valuable work stolen. The iTunes Music Store offers a groundbreaking solution for both.”

It’s funny to see Digital Rights Management being touted as a ‘groundbreaking’ feature.

New “Mini” Retail Stores, Oct 14, 2004:

Apple® today unveiled its new "mini" retail store, a stunning all-new design featuring stainless steel walls and seamless white floors and ceilings. The mini store is half the size of Apple’s smallest store to date, which will allow it to be placed in a variety of new locations to introduce Apple’s innovative products to even more customers.

Introduction of Mac Mini and iPod Shuffle, Jan 11, 2005:

“Starting at just $499, Mac mini is the most affordable way to enjoy Mac OS X and iLife,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Just plug in your display, keyboard and mouse and you’ve got an incredibly compact Mac for a price that almost anyone can afford.”

Apple® today introduced iPod® shuffle, a breakthrough digital music player based on iPod’s legendary shuffle feature which lets users experience their music in a million different ways. Smaller and lighter than a pack of gum, iPod shuffle comes with its own lanyard so it’s ready to wear right out of the box.

The Mac Mini was Apple’s first sub-$500 Mac. Unfortunately today’s model retails for an entry-level price of $699. The iPod shuffle has since eliminated the lanyard… and all physical buttons.

The switch to Intel processors, June 06, 2005:

Apple® announced plans to deliver models of its Macintosh® computers using Intel® microprocessors by this time next year, and to transition all of its Macs to using Intel microprocessors by the end of 2007. Apple previewed a version of its critically acclaimed operating system, Mac OS® X Tiger, running on an Intel-based Mac®…

With Apple now making their own processors, it may be only a matter of time before they shy away from Intel’s offerings.

If you enjoyed reading these press releases of the early oughts, you will love part two, spanning the second half of the decade. Part three covers the obscure, but equally notable announcements.

Google TV Round Up: What We Know Thus Far

2010-06-26T02:32:00.010-05:00

In case you feel that Google does not play a big enough role in your life, fear not, for they will be invading your living room shortly. Last month, at Google's I/O developer conference, the search giant revealed that they will be partnering with Sony, Intel, and Logitech, in an attempt to bridge the gap between your computer and your television.

What is Google TV?

Essentially, Google TV will bring search to your television. You will be able to find content and media whether it is currently airing, sitting on your DVR, or embedded on a website. Included will be a web browser and social networking capabilities out of the box. It is also a convenient way for Google to keep track of your viewing habits and provide extremely targeted ads. What, you didn't think Google was in this for betterment of mankind, did you? For a more thorough explanation of what is Google TV, see the embedded video at the end of this post.

What is Google's involvement?

Google will be providing the operating system behind Google TV. Not much has been revealed about the OS, but one can assume that visually, it will be more Chrome OS than Android (though, apparently it is Android under the hood). It will be interesting to see if Google allows an Android-like open environment, or if Google TV will be more closed for prosperity sake. I predict that the extension of functionality will work in a similar manner to Boxee, where there OS is open to third party developers, but all extensions will get filtered through Google first.

What does Sony have to do with this?

Sony will be the first manufacturer to integrate Google TV into their high definition televisions. It is currently unknown how many models will be available, or how much we will be paying for this premium experience. However, Sony does tout it to be an HDTV that's smart and powerful.

Enjoy thousands of ways to customize your experience now that you'll have access to the ever-evolving library of Web content and built for TV apps. Automatic upgrades help ensure the software powering your Sony Internet TV is up to date. [...] The Sony Internet TV has enough processing power to easily load sites and stream videos, while a wireless handheld QWERTY remote makes navigation simple.

Apparently, a Google TV branded Sony product will be only the first of more offerings stemming from this collaboration, as suggested in Sony's press release.

Just who does Logitech think they are?

If you don't care to shell out for a Sony HDTV, you can partake in the Google goodness via a set-top box from Logitech. Available this Fall, the sleek looking device will be called the Revue, and is intended to be inserted in-between your television and the rest of your entertainment system.

Logitech Revue is a companion box and controller that brings the experience of Google TV to your TV screen. It combines everything on the Web, cable or satellite content, apps, video calling and more that will be wildly popular between 2010 and 2030, until we reinvent interaction again.

Video calling, you say? Move over, Microsoft Kinect.

So, who invited Intel to this party?

If not obvious enough, Intel will be providing the horsepower behind Google TV branded televisions and set-top boxes. These devices will be powered by Intel's seemingly impressive Atom CE4100 processor, which is fully capable of decoding two 1080p streams simultaneously. Despite the Atom name usually being associated with low powered netbooks, this processor in particular was designed for cable boxes and Blu-ray players.

The Intel® Atom™ processor CE4100, Intel’s “system-on-a-chip,” is at the heart of this TV evolution. The Intel® Atom™ processor brings intelligence and performance to deliver the processing power, world-class HD video and audio, and advanced graphics required for new smart TV devices like companion boxes, Blu-ray* players, and digital TVs.

Intel's site also hints at the ability to use voice to control this "Smart TV".

Whether Google TV will revolutionize television as we know it, or get lost in the shuffle with other similar offerings, such as Boxee, Popcorn Hour, or TiVo Premier, remains to be seen. That question is one that will be answered this Fall. If what Google has accomplished for cellphones is any indication, this piece of technology may be nothing to thumb your nose at.

In my personal opinion, I think that Google should change the name from "Google TV" before launch. The "Google" name has grown large enough that it summons a sense of hesitancy when they announce a new way to integrate into our daily routines. Hell, I would even settle for Android TV or Chrome TV. They still have plenty of time to make any last minute adjustments, if they deem it necessary.

The Retinal Debate: Just How Good Is The iPhone 4's Display?

2010-06-13T03:36:00.023-05:00

When Steve Jobs is on stage, every sentence gets over analyzed by the tech world. By no surprise, there seems to be a bit of debate over a claim made by Steve Jobs at the 2010 WWDC keynote. In reference to the iPhone 4's high resolution display, Steve stated that the number of pixels are higher than that of which is detectable by the human eye. As described by Jobs, at a distance of one foot, pixels begin to blur together into continuous curves at around 300 pixels per inch. The iPhone 4's Retina Display boasts 326 pixels per inch.

While there is little dispute that the new iPhone contains an impressive display, there is debate over whether or not the display actually exceeds the visual capabilities of the human eye. Raymond Soneira, president of DisplayMate Technologies Corps, has done the math and considers the claim to be an example of spec exaggeration.

"The resolution of the retina is in angular measure - it's 50 Cycles Per Degree. A cycle is a line pair, which is two pixels, so the angular resolution of the eye is 0.6 arc minutes per pixel. So, if you hold an iPhone at the typical 12 inches from your eyes that works out to 477 pixels per inch. At 8 inches it's 716 ppi. You have to hold it out 18 inches before it falls to 318 ppi. So the iPhone has significantly lower resolution than the retina. It actually needs a resolution significantly higher than the retina in order to deliver an image that appears perfect to the retina."

By Raymond's math, the exact number of pixels that is visually capable of the human eye at 12", is 477 per inch. Raymond has a PhD in theoretical physics from Princeton and has been studying displays for 20 years, so when he speaks, journalists take note. Wired.com was quick to label Job's claims as false marketing.

Well, at least one other expert has also done the math. Discover Magazine's Phil Plait has run the numbers and seems to side with Jobs. Phil's claim to fame was calibrating a camera on the Hubble space telescope. The explanation is pretty long and technical, but here is the gist of it:

"The iPhone4 has a resolution of 326 ppi (pixels per inch). Soleira says the eye can resolve 1 / 0.0021 = 477 ppi. However, normal vision can see at 1 / 0.0035 = 286 ppi. So the density of pixels in the iPhone 4 is safely higher than can be resolved by the normal eye, but lower than what can be resolved by someone with perfect vision. So what does all this mean? Let me make this clear: if you have perfect eyesight, then at one foot away the iPhone 4’s pixels are resolved. The picture will look pixellated. If you have average eyesight, the picture will look just fine."

Essentially, if you are in the minority of the population that has been blessed with perfect 20/20 vision, then you may notice some pixelation in the iPhone's display. However, if you are of average vision or lower, the Retinal Display will look as smooth as can be (to someone of inferior vision).

The debate over the actual capabilities of the iPhone 4's display is similar to the 1080i vs. 1080p HDTV debate. The fact of the matter is, only those gifted with the finest of eyesights can detect a difference. It is a matter of semantics not worth losing any sleep over. And really, if Apple tells you that you shouldn't have perfect vision, who are you to argue?

Soluto: PC Anti-Frustration Made Easy

2010-06-11T00:58:00.007-05:00

If the Soluto name sounds familiar to you, it is because this company won first place in the TechCrunch Disrupt 2010 competition for start-up of the year. If you haven't heard of them, then rest assured that their victory was well earned. Their product of the same name, claims to "bring an end to PC user frustration with transparency, killer technology, and your help". After spending a little time with this product, I must say that I am quite impressed.

If you are a Windows user, Soluto is a lightweight client that runs in the background, though fairly unobtrusively. Upon installation and a reboot, you will notice a timer at the bottom left hand corner of your desktop. This timer counts up until every start-up process has launched and your desktop has fully loaded. A window then opens up, and gives you a graphical representation of each process that is configured to start at boot-up. Many of these processes are blatantly unnecessary, and Soluto will tell you which ones are safe to either disable or delay. You don't have to worry about removing something important by accident, as the application makes it clear which ones should be left as is.

Soluto calls upon its knowledge of these processes from what they refer to as the PC Genome Server. To contribute to the online knowledge base, wait until your PC exhibits some quirky behavior, then initiate Soluto from the task bar. Anonymous technical details are then sent to Soluto's servers for analysis.

I ran Soluto on a notebook running Windows 7. My initial boot clocked in at about 1 minute 55 seconds. After using Soluto to reconfigure the boot-up processes, the following boot clocked in at 50 seconds. That's no typo, I was able to shave my desktop launch by more than half. Bear in mind that I am an IT person and I know how to keep a clean OS. I can't wait to run this utility on a really junked up PC to see what a difference it can make.

By all means, pay no mind to my over simplified explanation. See the embedded video, also available on the Soluto website, for more details. The application can be downloaded here. Bear in mind, it is currently in beta.

Do We Need A Redbox for Video Games?

2010-06-06T14:51:00.012-05:00

I think we do.

Renting video games is very representative of what is ailing traditional brick and mortar business models. It is always such a frustrating experience to rent a video game from a rental store. It is near impossible to find new releases available on the shelf. We are all familiar with the scavenger hunt, you either have to drive from store to store, which is becoming quite difficult as rental stores are dropping like flies, or you have to call around and communicate with some disgruntled employee. When you do finally find a game to rent, the prices are insulting. In my town, video game rentals from Blockbuster currently go for $9 for a five day rental. If you go over 5 days, you get charged a dollar a day up to the tenth day. After that, you get charged full price for the game. There are services like Gamefly, that take a Netflix-esque approach to the rental model. However, I find their prices to be a little steep for what you get in return.

A Redbox-like business model would not only help make finding games easier, but also make the rentals much more affordable. Anybody who has utilized the Redbox website can appreciate the Google Maps integration that will show the nearest location of the title you are looking for. The dollar-a-day pricing structure means that you can keep the game for as long as you want without getting ripped off. I would much rather pay $7 for a week of gaming as opposed to $11 for the same amount of time from Blockbuster. If it takes a month to finish a game, it would only cost roughly $30, half the price of owning the game.

Why we will never see it

A Redbox-like model for video games will never succeed for the very same reasons that Redbox now suffers from. Much like the movie studios, video game distributors will never embrace a rental model that greatly undercuts their new game sales. Just the thought of this rental model ultimately affecting the bottom-line will ensure it never sees the light of day. Limited support would mean higher costs for the rental company, which may never be recouped. Game distributors have a hard enough time accepting used game sales, and are always trying new things to combat it.

Though a dollar-a-day kiosk concept for video game rentals would seem pretty ideal, for it to come to fruition would be highly unlikely. However, the future for brick and mortar rental stores seems pretty bleak as well. One can only hope that when digital distribution becomes the norm and not the exception, a decent rental model will be implemented. I won't be holding my breath.

Thoughts On LOST - Spoiler Free

2010-05-27T00:59:00.018-05:00

As a devoted enthusiast of ABC's LOST, I felt obligated to share my thoughts now that the show has officially wrapped. Throughout the duration of the series, I was constantly in ponder of whether Lost is the best show I have ever watched... or was it the worst? While it undeniably kept me on the edge of my seat for the past six years, it was the major flaws, such as continuity errors and unanswered questions, that made me wonder whether the writers were pure geniuses or just plain sloppy. I do tend to lean toward the latter, though forgivingly, as Lost has still proven to be one hell of a roller coaster ride that has left a lasting impression for years to come.

By far, the biggest gripe when it comes to Lost was that for every question it answered, it asked five more. Viewers tuned in every week in anticipation of the answers that were about to start pouring in. For a lot of those questions, that moment never came. A lot of viewers became disgruntled over the years and vocal about their distaste for this obsurd method of story telling. See, for a long time, television has conditioned us to expect answers to be spoon fed to us. Our effortless quest for knowledge has made us lazy. We have enough to think about, how dare our television ask us to do more of it?

What makes Lost so special is that it leaves so much open to interpretation. The main characters on the show never knew the history of the island, so sympathetically, why should we? What I have come to realize (with a lot of help from the series finale) is that we weren't watching a show about an island, we were watching a show about the survivors. We were witnessing their struggles as they fell victim to their surroundings. If the island was a backgammon board, the actual story is about the pieces moving around the board.

The island was a mysterious place, and it is best left that way. In similar fashion to the Star Wars franchise, we accepted the Force for what it was. We didn't need an explanation involving midichlorians -- it ruined the magic. Sure some details may have been nice to know, but not at all crucial for the progression of the story. Furthermore, for the times when the Lost writers did decide to dig into the back story, it couldn't help but feel cheesy and poorly contrived. There are definitely some mysteries I wish would have been resolved, however, I will forgive the writers this one time.

To say that all that was provided to us from Lost was a TV show, is a major understatement. Whole online communities have formed in fondness of the show. These are places you can go for great discussions, theories, speculations, and all around good conversation. Also as a result, some of the best podcasts have originated from these discussions. Podcasts such as Jay and Jack, The Transmission, GSPN.tv, etc., have helped make the experience so much more involved. As hard as it was to say goodbye to Lost, it will be just as hard to walk away from these communities that have almost become like family to some. Thankfully, the open-ended nature of Lost will provide an opportunity for discussion for quite some time.

Love it or hate it, you have to admit that Lost has set precedence for what prime-time television should be going forward. It has set the bar so high that it has yet to be reached, though many have attempted. Shows such Heroes and Flash Forward have drawn heavy influence from Lost, but have been unable to keep up with the momentum that the series has demonstrated. It will be a long time before another Lost comes around, and that time will only come when shows stop trying to imitate, and rather create something original and compelling.

You may disagree with my synopsis, and I whole-heartedly respect that. Only a show as influential and controversial as Lost, can so many different opinions be formulated from. As they say on the island, "Thank you, namaste, and good luck."

Edit: Collegehumor.com has a video that nicely summarizes all of the unanswered questions, which can be viewed here. It really puts things in context.

LOST Summarized In 3 Sentences

2010-05-14T13:55:00.014-05:00

As the final season comes to a conclusion, the mysteries of Lost have never slowed. Whenever people ask me what Lost is about, I don't try to explain what is unexplainable. Instead, I give them the basic rundown of what Lost is at it's core...

We have to get off this island >:O

We have to go back :$

We should have never came back :'(

What's New? Office 2010

2010-05-11T23:37:00.006-05:00

Ah yes, my first foray into the world of screen casting! And what a nightmare it has been! But as always, practice makes perfect.

Being a Technet subscriber, I was allowed early access to the final version of Microsoft Office 2010. The video embedded below details some of the changes that the new version of Office brings with it.

The screencast was recorded and encoded using Microsoft's Expression Encoder 3. Though the editing capabilities of the application leaves much to be desired, I find the encoding options to be superb. Ultimately, the video was uploaded to Vimeo, as Youtube persisted in throwing the audio out of sync.

For the best viewing experience, I would suggest watching in HD and full screen. That can be accomplished on the Vimeo page, here.

All in all, if you already own Office 2007, there may not be much incentive in shelling out for 2010. However, if you are still running Office 2003 or are in the market for an office suite, then the decision is a no brainer. Microsoft Office 2010 seems to be a solid release that only improves on its predecessor.

Oh Noez! How To Prevent or Recover a Bricked Mac from an OS Upgrade

2010-04-10T01:29:00.011-05:00

It’s inevitable. Not a question of if it will happen, but when it will happen. Eventually every single Mac user will brick their hardware when performing an OS update. It’s only a matter of time. You think it won’t happen to you, you let your guard down, and bam! You get stuck with one expensive brick. The following is some advice on how to avoid bricking your Mac, as well as how to recover once it has happened.

Pre-upgrade

Step 1: Always make a backup!

While maintaining periodical updates is always a good practice, make sure you backup right before performing the upgrade. Whether you use Time Machine, Super Duper, Carbon Copy Cloner, etc., make sure you have a good recovery plan just in case. Invest in an external USB or Firewire hard drive dedicated solely to your backups.

Step 2: Repair your permissions!

This is a very easy step to forget, and it has bitten me in the behind in the past. Before performing any critical update, especially OS updates, be sure to launch disk utility and repair your system disk permissions. While in disk utility, verify your disk as well to make sure there are no physical or logical problems with the hard drive.

Step 3: Use the combo updater!

While it is very nice of Apple to make the OS updates easily available via Software Update, anybody who has had a OS update fail during installation will tell you that the Combo updater is much more reliable. The latest Combo updater can always be downloaded from the Apple website. While it is a much bigger file to download compared to the incremental patch in Software Update, the Combo updater includes all patches since the last major OS release. For instance, if you are downloading the 10.5.9 Combo updater, all patches from 10.5 to 10.5.9 are included in this file. If you have the extra time it takes to download it, the Combo updater usually provides a stable installation.

Post-upgrade/Post-brick

So despite the above advice, your Mac still managed to get bricked. Follow these steps in order to see if you can get your Mac to return to a functional state.

Step 1: Boot from installation disc!

If your Mac is not completely fried, you should still be able to boot from the Installation Disc. Boot up your Mac, hold down the ‘Option’ key when you hear the startup chime, then quickly insert the disc that came with your hardware. Once booted from the disc, launch Disk Utility and try to repair the disk permissions. Also hit the ‘Repair Disk’ button while there, just to be safe. This step alone may unbrick your Mac, depending how far into the install process you made it.

Step 2: Boot into safe mode!

Another trouble shooting step would be to attempt to boot into safe mode. This can be accomplished by holding the shift key during boot up. If successful, you can try to repair permissions and reapply the OS update, or at least salvage any files you haven’t backed up. However, it’s quite possible that you won’t even be able to boot into safe mode. If so, continue onto the next step.

Step 3: Boot into Target Disk mode!

Hopefully the Mac you’re using has a Firewire port. Oh and hopefully you also have another Mac available. Connect the two Macs together via Firewire. Power up the bricked Mac, and hit the ‘T’ key during the chime to boot into target disk mode. The bricked Mac should appear as a mounted drive on the other Mac. From the functioning machine, download and install the Combo updater. During the install, make sure to change the install location and point it to the mounted target disk. Reinstalling the update should undo any damage during the botched install.

Step 4: Reinstall the OS then apply updates!

At this point, if none of the above attempts were successful, you may have to resort to reinstalling the operating system from the install disk. Hopefully you have a good backup handy. Immediately after reinstalling the OS, download and install all software updates so that you are upgrading a pristine system. Once patched and updated, restore any third party applications and data. It’s a pain, but it beats having an expensive paper weight with an Apple logo.

The main thing to keep in mind is to not panic and have patience. Acting in a hasty fashion may only complicate matters. If worst comes to worst, set up an appointment at the genius bar. It may cost you a pretty penny if out of warranty, but really who can live without a computer these days? Have faith that in no time, Betsy will be back up and running again.

Money Over Morals? A Social Experiment

2010-03-14T00:55:00.009-06:00

The general consensus of the current state of the economy is that the worst is over. The recession has bottomed out and we can expect to make a slow but steady recovery. I for one, work in a place of employment that unfortunately had to lay-off its fair share of dedicated workers. Our office is small enough that no absence goes unfelt. However, now that we find ourselves in the tail-end of Q1 2010, it turns out we had a better year than we thought.

As a good indication that things are heading back in the right direction, bonus checks were handed out this week. I admit to breathing a sigh of relief, as I went from worrying about job security to being handed a wad of cash, so to speak. Though, as I took my check to the bank, I couldn’t help but feel some guilt and sorrow for my fallen comrades that may be struggling out there to put food on the table for their children. Which brings up an interesting question, how much would we be willing to sacrifice in order to ensure the survival of others?

In a completely hypothetical setting, let’s say a meeting was called prior to handing out the bonus checks. All of the employees are gathered into the meeting room and given an ultimatum. We can take our bonus checks and carry on like nothing has happened, OR, we could give up our bonuses for this year and in exchange, one former employee will be given their job back. To sweeten the deal, it will be the single mother of two young children that will be asked to return. BUT, in order for this person to get offered their job back, every single employee must agree to give up their bonus. Sadly, I predict this person will not be returning any time soon.

What would you choose in this situation? What would I choose? I would like to act like I am the poster boy for morality, but even I must acknowledge that I would struggle with this decision. Even with the foresight that I will most likely spend my bonus money on something completely unnecessary, like a technology gadget that I can live without, would I give up this luxury for someone who most likely would not do the same for me? To be brutally honest, I would probably take the safe, yet ignoble, route of choosing to return the money with confidence that I will be out-voted.

The underlying moral question is how important is having more than we need? Is it important enough that we would not only take from others, but even deny them life necessities? If your answer differed from mine, then I tip my hat to you. However, I will remain skeptical until the situation were to actually present itself. I think we humans are capable of a lot more harm that we credit ourselves for.

Meanwhile, I am debating if I should spend a portion of my bonus on a Drobo or an iPad.

Three Minutes Can Get You Three Years

2009-12-09T20:45:00.009-06:00

Just recently I found myself praising the Muvico Theater in Rosemont, IL. Unlike traditional movie theaters, the Muvico has a 21 and over area which includes a bar and grill. You don’t have to worry about rushing to finish your drinks, as you can continue imbibing as you watch the film. Because you are paying for a premium experience, you can relax during the movie as you sit in cozy couches in a balcony isolated from the rest of the theater.

Unfortunately, my opinion of the Muvico Theater has gone quite south based on a recent incident involving 22 year old Samantha Tumpach and her family. The family was hosting a surprise birthday party for Samantha’s sister at the theater as “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” was projected onto the screen. During the festivities, Samantha used a point and shoot digital camera to film some of the celebration. An worker noticed Samantha’s actions and immediately contacted the police.

The camera was seized and analyzed. Examinations of the recordings show two short segments of New Moon captured, totaling less than four minutes in length. Even as the recordings took place, Samantha and her peers could be heard talking in the background.

Despite the seemingly harmless nature of the recordings, the crime itself can result in harsh penalties. Muvico managers insisted on pressing charges, causing Samantha to spend two nights in jail as she awaited a bond hearing. She is now due in court on the ~~17th~~ 11th of December. If found guilty, Samantha can face a felony charge potentially resulting in three years in prison. All for three minutes of footage recorded sloppily with a digital camera.

Based on the details reported of this story, it is evident that Samantha Tumpach is being used to set an example. However it is clear that this example is being made unnecessarily and unfairly. While a crime may exist in the technicalities, it was clearly not intentional and there was no threat of financial loss to the theater or film industry.

As enough harm has already been caused to Samantha and her family, one can only hope that negative publicity garnered from this situation can have a lasting effect. Media attention given to this situation has even prompted New Moon director, Chris Weitz, to express his support for Samantha. Meanwhile, if you would like to contact the Muvico Theater to express your distaste for their actions, there phone number is (847) 447-1040. I for one, know that I have made my last visit to that theater.

Update: Charges have been dropped. I still will not visit the Muvico any time in the near future!

Itunes' Little Secrets

2009-12-08T19:07:00.007-06:00

When Itunes was upgraded to version 9 a few months ago, it brought with it a handful of new features and design revisions. Some were heavily touted, others slipped in as Easter Eggs. In this post I will discuss a couple lesser known newly added features.

One annoying quirk of previous versions of Itunes was that all the content in your library was grouped under the "Music" folder. All television shows, whether purchased from the Itunes store or added to Itunes, were grouped under a subfolder of the Music folder. As were movies, podcasts, etc. Itunes 9 introduced the capability to restructure your content in a more sensible manner. If you upgraded from a previous version of Itunes, launch the application, hit up File>Library>Organize Library. Select the box to "Upgrade to iTunes Media organization". Sit back and relax and let Itunes do its thing. If you did not upgrade from a previous version of Itunes, there is no need to go through this process, as your library is organized by default.

A second little known but quite handy feature of Itunes 9 is the ability to add content to your library without actually launching the application first. Itunes has become a bloated slug as of late, so it would be nice to add some files without bogging down your resources. Once your library has been reorganized using the method described above, navigate to the location of your Itunes library. You should now see a folder called "Automatically Add to iTunes". Admittingly, it is not in the most convenient of locations. What you can do, however, is create an alias of this folder and move it to the desktop. You can create the alias by cmd-clicking the folder and selecting "Make Alias". What I did was move this Alias to the desktop and rename it "Add To Itunes". As the name states, compatible files added to this folder will be added to Itunes. If Itunes is closed at the time, the files will be added to your library the instant it is opened. The files will also be removed from this folder and organized with the rest of your media. There you have a quick shortcut to adding files to Itunes.

The Philosophical Ramblings of a Modern Mind

2009-11-25T19:23:00.015-06:00

Do you ever look back at the great philosophers of our time and wonder who will be the next distinguishable figure to emerge? From Socrates and Aristotle to Nietzsche and Camus, all were men many people disagreed with, but few had trouble respecting. But who are the great philosophers of today? Is anybody even sharing their philosophies any more? It could be quite possible that the greatest philosopher of today will not be recognized in this lifetime. It took almost a hundred years before Søren Kierkegaard was taken seriously. Or has the information age made the need for philosophy moot?

Far be it for me to suggest that my name be breathed in the same sentence as those mentioned above. However, I think it is important for anybody to be able to share their views on life without fear of judgment. I feel that when we hold our tongues, we only limit ourselves. With tact and proper foresight, there is no opinion that should go unshared.

The Uberman. Like Nietzsche, I feel that as human beings, we should be always striving to achieve more. What that more is, is up to the individual. The existence of the human race is based on evolution, and it is our responsibility to contribute, even if it is on an personal basis. Never at a point in our adult lives should we succumb to the lack of motivation or will power. When we have reached the accepted age of retirement, our focus should be redirected from advancing in life to capitalizing on our life’s achievements. When we have given up on advancement, we have given up on life.

The weak will exist. Without weakness, there would be nothing in with to distinguish the strong. We should not shun or distance the weak, but show tolerance toward them. It should be realized that weakness is relative. Where one excels, he/she falters elsewhere. But when in the role of the weak, stand aside and make way for the strong. It is a constant mistake of society to focus on weakness and neglect the strengths.

We are who we are. We do not decide who we are. It is the environment that we grow up in that determines our personality traits as adults. We can attempt to change who we are, but we cannot vanquish our core essence. Any change we implement is a constant effort. When we grow tired or discouraged, that effort diminishes and the change reverts back to its true nature. For instance, if a person is naturally a dishonest, he/she can try to be honorable. It is only a matter of time before that person stops trying, thus displaying the true colors of deception. This should not be taken as discouragement, but as a reminder that all we can do is accept the circumstances, as the physics of nature is out of our hands.

Trust is all or nothing. To trust conditionally is to not trust at all. Genuine trust is more than a decision, it is a commitment. There are times when the ability to trust will be greatly challenged. It is those times that define the true nature of trust. Trust is irrelevant if it disappears when needed most. Trust can certainly be broken. But be it circumstantially denied, it never truly existed.

Agree to disagree. Not everyone will view the world through the same perspective. Throughout the history of man, society has waged wars of varying degrees against those that disagree with the general consensus. As a human race, we should be evolved to the point of civility where we can agree to disagree with those of differing world views. One of the hardest challenges that I have had to overcome was to accept that people will have their own philosophies on life that may be contradictory to my own. They are just as entitled to their world views as I am to mine.

Well that is enough rambling for one night. I can go on forever with this stuff. My no means do I suggest you should agree with my opinions. I think the goal of any philosopher is not to convert others, but at the very least to encourage them to analyze life and formulate their own philosophies.

Post Production

2009-11-24T09:49:00.005-06:00

Gosh, who has time to blog any more? When schedules get rough, it seems that updating a blog always takes a backseat. Well anyway, I am currently pursuing a second degree at Harper College, in Palatine, IL. As part of a final project in Marketing class, I was given the opportunity to produce a couple of short videos. One is a commercial, the other a documentary. Both very amateur. However, if I ever become a famous name, these videos can serve as my early work.

The goal was to conceptualize a new product and progress through the marketing plan. My team decided on a Parking Detection System; similar to a GPS device, but with the ability to point out available parking spots in crowded lots.

You may notice The King from the Burger King commercials in the videos. This is in reference to an inside joke amongst our class.

The Disney-Marvel Acquisition

2009-09-10T21:37:00.006-05:00

As has been the talk of the nerd crowd lately, The Walt Disney Company has announced their intention to acquire Marvel Entertainment, pending regulatory approval. Most comic book enthusiasts gasped at the concept, worried about the watering down of their favorite masked heroes. However, there is much good that can come out of this acquisition. The following is a list of ways that both companies can benefit the purchase.

Marvel can now leverage off of the power of the Disney owned Pixar to successfully reboot some of their superhero franchises on the big screen. While the fantasy worlds of such heroes such as Daredevil and Ghost Rider are compelling in print, something often gets lost in translation during the filming of the movies. Pixar has proven that they are not afraid to create animations toward an older audience. Hell, let’s ditch The Incredibles and give the Fantastic Four another shot.

Next spring, sci fi enthusiasts are going to have a void to fill as LOST ends its final season. What a better way to continue the mythology of the series than in an ongoing monthly comic series? If the acquisition goes through, Disney would own both Marvel and ABC, thus allowing the two to collaborate. This would also be a great way to explain the origins of the island, as well. Dharma Initiative graphic novels, anyone?

So far, we have covered movies and TV shows. How about video games? While Marvel has been no slouch when it comes to game adaptations, Disney has also earned it's respect for their partnering with Squaresoft on the Kingdom Hearts franchise. Kingdom Hearts allows you to play as Disney characters in a role playing game setting. Currently on the fourth entry, it has often been pondered where Disney was planning to take the series next. With the purchase of Marvel, the answer suddenly becomes very clear.

So how about some real life excitement? Six Flags has superheroes from the DC universe all over their theme parks. So, it would only be natural for Disney to fill its parks with some Marvel themed rides. Swing around New York with Spiderman, or navigate through the futuristic settings of the Baxter Building. Introducing a Marvel themed portion of the theme park will entice those that are too old for the kiddy rides, but too young to have kids of their own.

Edit: Shout out to John Struan for highlighting my mashups (http://superpunch.blogspot.com)

Death of an IT Guy

2009-09-07T22:42:00.014-05:00

The university and sorority life was never for me. So immediately after I graduated High School, I felt the best decision for me was to pick a trade. I always had a vested interest in all things electronic, so I decided on a two-year degree at ITT Technical Institute. The degree was in Electronics Engineering Technology, though I soon found out that it was an endangered profession. Two years of learning how to create and troubleshoot circuit boards and components did not prepare me for the culture shock I received when I began my working career.

I soon discovered that as technology became more advanced and sophisticated, we no longer needed humans to fill those technical positions. Components were placed on surface mount boards using pick and place machines. Circuit boards were so cheap to create, they were considered disposable. Thus when one needed repair, it was no longer practical to pay someone to troubleshoot and fix it. Just toss it in the bin and replace it with one of those new boards over there. Not to mention that the only employment I could find were contract positions that always ended with entire departments being let go, often due to outsourcing to other countries. Some job security I had.

So after a failed stint in the Electronics field, it seemed clear to me that the only sure fire career was in Information Technology. The growth rate of the personal computer is unlike anything history has ever seen before. Society has become so dependant on computers that it would be blasphemy to even think that a company can be successful without a complicated network configuration. To the consumer, computers are like a status symbol, the more you have, the more successful you are in life. I surely don’t need to tell you that.

Within a short amount of time, I redirected my focus. I took some classes at New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, obtained some Microsoft and CompTIA certifications, and found permanent employment rather quickly. I started off as help desk support, and within a couple of years was promoted to network engineer. And while the field of Information Technology currently seems glorious and ever-growing, I cannot help but notice a sense of deja vous.

In comparison to how advances in science and technology lead to the diminished need for human interaction in the process of building and troubleshooting circuit boards, managing a network of computers no longer requires as many skilled technicians as the silver age of computing. In efforts to cut costs and limit overhead, computing solutions such as virtualization, application streaming, desktop publishing, etc., have not only reduced hardware requirements, but also the need for people to administrate them. With cloud-storage eliminating the demand for storage area networks (SANs), it also takes with it a couple employees that may have overseen the data management and backup reporting aspects. Essentially, a different form of outsourcing.

So what does the future hold for positions in IT? As it seems the current trend is heading, instead of entire business departments dedicated to Information Technology, at the most only a handful of bodies are required to manage the network. I predict that the typical IT department will consist of a minimally skilled help desk team, as well as a couple of specialized network engineers to manage the network. There will be no middle ground. Thus in order to secure a position in tomorrow’s IT department, an individual needs to find his/her niche. Find an particular aspect of network engineering, such as virtualization, and focus your studies specifically on it. Certifications are always a plus, if not a requisite. Then, excel like no other in that area of expertise, and hope the next technology trend does not make your niche obsolete.

If _ Were Smart, They Would Purchase _

2009-06-13T22:08:00.008-05:00

Every now and then when boredom kicks in, I like to ponder about mergers that could potentially make a big impact on the tech industry. Yes, while other men fantasize about women and cars, I day dream about corporate acquisitions. The following is a handful of tech mergers that should happen, if the companies were smart…

If Microsoft were smart, they would purchase Wolfram Alpha.

If Microsoft has shown anything lately, it is that they take search serious. So serious in fact, that they would revamp (and redirect) their current msn and live search engines into the decision engine, Bing. As it now appears, Bing does a great job of taking the results you would normally receive from a Google search and presenting them in an organized and centralized fashion. But as impressive and effective as Bing may be, the real hurdle Microsoft faces is getting the average Joe to switch his searching habits and give Google the boot. What Microsoft should do is scoop up and utilize the technology behind Wolfram Alpha’s computational knowledge engine before anybody else does. The merger would give Bing the push it needs, as even the almighty Google cannot return comparative results such as this.

Edit: Prediction fulfilled!

If RIM were smart, they would purchase Palm.

Research In Motion, the company that brought us the Blackberry, has proven that they lack the hipness required to stay relative in the post-iPhone smart phone market. Their self proclaimed iPhone killer, the Storm, was lack luster to say the least. Palm on the other hand, after years of rapid decline, has manage to rebuild and bounce back. Having a team of ex-Apple employees seems to be a big help. The Palm Pre is generally accepted as the first real contender to the iPhone’s crown. However, Palm is still small enough that they would be ripe pickings for a big company facing a downward spiral. To put it in other words, in order for RIM to not become the next Palm, they should ironically, purchase Palm.

If Hulu were smart, they would purchase Revision3.

Despite the fact that Hulu is funded by corporations such as NBC, FOX and Disney, it is clear that they are going for a hip, web-trendy approach for their video streaming site. If rumors are true of Hulu’s content providers planning to charge for access, they better have plenty on the table in terms of free, exclusive content. When it comes to web media, few are more respected than Revision3. Merging them into the fold and offering their shows exclusively through hulu.com would provide some insurance in terms of page-visits to make up for those lost from charging for content.

Here’s some quickies…

If Google were smart, they would purchase Evernote.

The Goog pulled the plug on their Notebook web app. Why not give it a second shot with an already developed service with a loyal fan base?

If NewsCorp were smart, they would purchase Twitter.

Myspace is clearly losing the popularity contest to Facebook. It would not hurt to embrace the current infatuation with micro-blogging.

If Ebay were smart, they would purchase Craigslist.

If you can’t beat ’em, buy ’em.

Microsoft TechEd 2009

2009-05-17T22:03:00.005-05:00

I am writing this blog post amidst unpacking my bags and settling in (i.e. watching the LOST and Fringe season finales), after an all-inclusive week long trip to mostly sunny California. My employer was kind enough to sponsor my attendance of Microsoft’s annual educational conference, TechEd. The shindig was hosted at the Los Angeles Convention center from May 11th – 15th, and was jam packed with an over abundance of Information Technology nerdiness.

The conference kicked off with a keynote speech from Bill Veghte, Senior Vice President for the Windows Business, where he informed us that the theme this year will be focused on the technology awaiting us on the road ahead, with the impending releases of Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7. Along with a brief dog-and-pony show displaying features of both products, the most notable moment was when Bill announced that Windows 7 should be available to the public by this holiday season.

My time at the conference consisted of a plethora of Breakout and Birds-of-a-Feather sessions, as well as some interactive learning labs. Let me not forget the Partner Expo, which was introduced with more finger foods than you can shake a stick at, as well as an open bar to help wash them down. Vendor presence was fulfilled by the usual suspects, such as Dell, HP, Symantec, etc. Needless to say, I carried away more swag than I could fit in my TechEd tote bag.

From what I witnessed at the show, Windows Server 2008 R2 does not offer much that is particularly new, but instead incorporates features and functionality that was previously only obtainable via third party developers. Whereas application and desktop virtualization are the staple of companies such as VMWare and Citrix, both tasks can be obtained by Microsoft’s App-V and MED-V. Server virtualization can now be accomplished via Hyper-V. Sysadmins can have a tighter grasp on the end-user experience with desktop optimization (MDOP) and application management (AppLocker). So it seems, Microsoft is really pushing the concept of virtualization to embrace the color green, whether it be to cut costs or to reach for an eco friendly environment.

As far as the Windows 7 offerings, I was already pretty familiar with the OS from toying with the Beta and RC. One feature I was unaware of was the ability to create and attach virtual hard disks, handy for isolation environments. Microsoft also demoed XP Mode in Windows 7 via Windows Virtual PC, which comes free with the Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions of the OS. As one can expect, there will exist tight integration between Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2.

I shied away from the developer side of the house, but from what I can gather, much emphasis was placed on Windows Azure and the future of cloud computing. Database administration puts me to sleep, but SQL Server 2008 seemed to be highly praised.

Being that this was my first TechEd, I was impressed by the showing of 7,000+ attendees. However, I heard employee grumblings that attendance was down 50% compared to last year. I assume we can blame a faltering economy for the decrease in numbers. Overall, I had a great time and very much enjoyed the wholesome learning environment. I give Microsoft a Golf-style round of applause for their efforts, and do look forward to attending future TechEds.

Welcome to the Dollhouse

2009-05-09T21:50:00.005-05:00

Here’s hoping that you tuned in to catch Josh Whedon’s Dollhouse this past fall. Some consider the Sci-Fi/Drama the pinnacle of writer/director Josh Whedon’s career. After finding success with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, Whedon has had a bitter love/hate relationship with FOX. His 2002 series, Firefly was well received amongst viewers, but chopped up and spit out by FOX execs. The series was aired out of order and canceled prematurely. Many fans have yet to forgive FOX for this blasphemy, though the studio may redeem itself if it places its faith in the Dollhouse.

The concept Dollhouse is definitely intriguing. A well funded organization provides a unique service to those willing to pay. The Dollhouse accepts those whom have no where else to turn. Their minds are wiped and archived. Their bodies become relatively empty vessels, waiting to be populated with the fitting personality that the job requires. Once the arrangement has been fulfilled, the active has their mind re-wiped, with no recollection of the events that took place.

The moral dilemma of such a concept plays a major role in the story, as an ex-FBI agent becomes infatuated and obsessed with bringing down the Dollhouse, which exist to the general populace as only an urban legend. As questioned in the show, does removing a person’s memory also displace their soul, an arguably figurative term referring to what makes a person who they are? Throughout the series, there are hints that indicate that despite all of the memory wiping that may occur, some instincts inevitably carry over. You can change what a person thinks, but you can’t change whom they are.

Though the series has had a couple of sleeper episodes in the 12 episode first series, there have certainly been a fair share of memorable, thought provoking moments. It is undeniably a breath of fresh air to see a prime time series attempt to break the common mold and take a risqué approach. To attempt a series where the main character, Eliza Dushku in this case, has a different personality from week to week, is unheard of. How can we develop an essential emotional attachment to a character whom half the time has no emotions, and the other half they are artificially imposed? Mastermind, Josh Whedon manages to pull this off, by making the character not only adorably hot, but also someone whom we want to root for in hopes that she will become self-aware, and rebel against the agency that has (consensually) taken away years of her life.

While in writing, the series sounds of one that is destined for longevity, it seems to have the odds stacked against it. For as many prospective shows that have earned FOX’s backing, there are 10 more that have been cancelled before given a chance to become a mainstream success. Don’t even get me started on Arrested Development. And, of all the time slots to give a premiering series, the one you want to avoid is Friday nights, especially in a world that has yet to recognize the value of broadcast time shifting or streaming internet content.

As of this writing, it is unknown whether Dollhouse will be renewed for a second season. Even if it is, how much is FOX willing to tolerate of a show has yet to show signs of monumental viewership? Whether or not Dollhouse is allowed to capitalize on its potential, Josh Whedon has certainly proven that he deserves the respect that Sci-Fi enthusiast have bestowed upon him. Meanwhile, if you care to contribute to the continuing presence of Science Fiction in prime time, you owe it to yourself to watch Dollhouse, be it downloaded from iTunes, streamed from Hulu, or rented from Netflix. Emerge yourself in the Dollhouse, but be careful not to lose your mind ;)

All Up In My Twitterz Part 1

2009-03-31T19:52:00.002-05:00

It used to be what we said that often got us into trouble. Now the trend seems to be drifting toward what we think that leaves us over exposed. As twitter.com becomes more and more mainstream, there increases the amount of eyes that view every thought we chose to document. In an age of social networking where very little remains sacred, the following are just a few examples of when people should have stepped away from the keyboard and kept their thoughts to themselves.

Celebrity relationships come and go like the change of seasons. However, the break up of Jennifer Anniston and John Mayer was especially notable amongst the internet crowd, as part of the blame was placed on Twitter. According to Ms. Anniston, she decided she had enough of his constant tweeting. The final straw was when he didn’t have time to return her calls, but instead used that time to update his status. Typical of a woman to demand all of the attention to herself, huh? Right.

Charlie Villanueva, forward for the Milwaukee Bucks, recently let his thumbs do a little too much talking, as he indulged in some tweetage at half time during a game with the Boston Celtics. Though the message was harmless enough, it threw a red flag for coach Scott Skiles, whom scolded Villanueva and demanded that he get focused on the game. Sometimes a stern talking to is needed, as the Bucks went on to win the game, and Villanueva finished with a team high of 19 points.

Speaking of basketball and micro blogging; never one to be outspoken, Dallas Mavricks owner Mark Cuban recently got fined by the NBA for micro blogging his frustrations with a referee. His rants, though mild, were quite expensive, costing him $25,000. At least somebody has found a way to monetize off of Twitter. Unsurprisingly, his tweets did not end there. Whose to say he can’t get his moneys worth?

Next time you apply for a job, make sure you have sealed the deal before you begin sharing your opinion of the position. One unfortunate candidate for a position at Cisco had to learn this the hard way. Her now infamous tweet, which stated, “Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work”, was quickly responded to by a Cisco rep. Needless to say, she did not get the job. But, she did get her 15 minutes of internet fame, if that counts for anything.

I believe that’s enough 140 character madness for one day. Check back shortly for Part 2.

The Mystery of the Four Toed Statue

2009-03-22T22:54:00.001-05:00

The mystery and intrigue of LOST is what keeps us viewers coming back week after week. The anticipation that someday, the numerous unanswered questions will be addressed. Who are the Others? What is the Smoke Monster? Who is Jacob? One question in particular was brought up and quickly discarded, not to be mentioned for another three seasons. Who, or what, is the four toed statue?

The four toed statue was first seen during the LOST season 2 finale, Live Together Die Alone, as witnessed by main characters Sayid, Sun, and Jin. At the time, two points were brought up by Sayid; the fact that all that was left of the statue was the foot, and that the foot consisted of only four toes. Not much could be determined of the identity or origin. Speculation arose recently, when viewers got another glimpse of the statue during the Season 5 episode, Lafleur. Not only did this new visual disprove the theory that Homer Simpson was at one time an island native, but it also gave us some more insight as to whom the statue may represent.

One heavily supported theory floating around the interwebz is that the statue may actually be remnants of a dedication to the Egyptian god, Anibus. This thought actually mingles quite well with all of the other Egyptian themes hinted at throughout the series, such as the hieroglyphs, deserts, and drawings of the Sphinx. The statue was seen wearing what appears to be a shendyt and nemes (Egyptian clothings), as well as holding an ankh in each hand. According to legend, Anibus was responsible for protecting the dead and delivering them to the afterlife, which may explain some of the oddities associated with the Others and their ability to defy the aging process.

Speaking of aging, one individual in particular comes to mind as a possible candidate for the identity of the statue: Richard Alpert, whom seems to be a leader of sorts amongst the Others. At first, it appeared he had the ability to travel through time, but recent events help prove that he actually traverses it. Whether we came across him at 1954 or 2004, he looks as if he had not aged a day. Though the gift of immortality can very well apply to all of the island natives, Richard is the only Other we have witnessed with that ability.

Another clue may also help us decipher the origins of the four toed statue. The fact that the statue seemed to be holding an ankh in each hand does not seem to be mere coincidence. In the episode Lafleur, we come across an ankh in the possession of two individuals. The first comes in the form of a dead Paul, whom appeared to be having an inter Other-Dharma relationship with Amy. The next time we see the ankh is three years later when Horace Goodspeed discovers that his wife, also Amy, is holding onto her past lover’s belonging. Could Paul have been of more importance to the island than we were initially let on to believe, or does this prove that Horace is destined for more than falling victim to a purge?

One unlikely candidate for the four toed statue, can actually make the most sense of all: Mr. Lafleur himself, aka James Sawyer Ford. Our Oceanic flight 815 survivor and resident con-artist has proven to be of quite importance to the mythos of the island, thanks to the convenient properties of time travel. So far, we have witnessed him take on the job of Head of Security for the Dharma Initiative, but I have a feeling he may play a more important role after all is said and done. Also, the fact that Sawyer appeared to have an infected foot early on in season 5, may have hinted to him losing a toe at some point down the road.

Some theorist have pointed out that the statue resembles that of a woman’s physique. Could the statue symbolize one of the number of women that we have been introduced to throughout the show’s run? Kate, Juliet, or even Amy come to mind. However, the writers will have to put up a stronger case for this viewer to be convinced.

Whomever the four toed statue may be, it is just one of the many mysteries that keeps us at the edge of our seats, and proves that LOST will go down as one of the greatest shows our generation has ever seen.

The Demise of Best Buy

2009-03-17T22:50:00.003-05:00

This past weekend, a friend and I stopped by a Best Buy department store. We didn’t go there with the intention to purchase anything, just to kill some time. As I walked through the isles, bombarded by obnoxiously over-helpful employees, I tried to think back to the last purchase I actually made in a Best Buy. Or, in any other brick and mortar electronics store, for that matter. It is a memory that I cannot recall.

Best Buy specifically is in an interesting predicament. Their bitter rival, Circuit City recently bit the bullet and gave in to the troubling economic times (take a drink). As Best Buy shifts their focus on the real king of the mountain, Walmart, now would be a good time for the big wigs to realize that they are not invulnerable to the same hardships that Circuit City faced.

The declining sales of physical media is not something that can be ignored. When I think movies or music, Itunes or Amazon is what immediately comes to mind. When it’s time for a new laptop or gadget, I prefer the comparability and customization that the web has to offer. When that new must-have video game is released, I want to trade in my used games for a discount, a service Amazon is now offering, as well as GameStop or EB Games. I have never purchased a big household appliance, such a washing machine or refrigerator at a Best Buy, and I don’t intend to anytime soon. It is hard to believe I am amongst a small minority in my buying habits.

So, while Best Buy is now targeting Walmart, it is a shift in their distribution model that they should be concerned with. A redesign of the horrendous bestbuy.com website would be a good start. A bigger push towards social networking couldn’t hurt. Perhaps a digital downloads store with some exclusivity deals would give them an edge. Whatever it is they do, they need to do it soon before Best Buy is swallowed, along with Walmart, by this common threat that is a sociological shift.

As I discussed this topic with my friend while we were exiting the department store, we made a wager as to how long Best Buy has before they join Circuit City, and the countless other failed franchises, in obscurity. My friend says 10 years, while I give them 6 at the most. And, while it will be a shame to see them go, if they have nothing desirable to bring to the table, I say good riddance.

Forget the Cheerleader, Here’s 5 Ways to Save Heroes

2009-03-08T20:32:00.005-05:00

When NBC’s Heroes first premiered back in 2006, it was every geek and comic book lovers dream. A live action drama that told the story of individuals trying to find their place in the world, while coping with their new found powers. It also came out at a time where viewers were frustrated by all of the unanswered questions that were piling up on ABC’s LOST. Following a first season that kept us on the edge of our seats, somehow the show has become an unwatchable bag of hurt.

You can take your pick as to what led to the downturn of Heroes. Was it the writers strike which prompted a forced end to a promising second season? Perhaps it’s the inability to go all out with the special effects due to budget cuts. Maybe it’s all of the over powered and under utilized characters, or rotating cycle of storylines. Whatever the case may be, NBC was somehow convinced to renew the series for at least one more season. In hoping that their faith doesn’t result in disappointment, the following is 5 suggestions on how to save the series.

1. A new cast. End this season by tying up whatever loose ends may exist, and start completely fresh next go round. After three seasons of Claire’s daddy issues, Peter and Nathan’s sibling rivalry, and whether or not to trust Noah, it is apparent the writers do not know how to evolve the characters. They even managed to take a potentially awesome villain like Syler and turn him into a whiny bitch (yeah, I said it). Alright, maybe keep some characters, but significantly limit their roles. Sometimes it is best to swallow your pride, scrap your progress (or lack thereof), and start from scratch. Which leads us to the next suggestion…

2. Hire new writers. The show already seems to be headed in this direction, as producer/writer Jeff Loeb was let go early in the third season. Smart move, as Loeb recently managed to also ruin the characterization of the Incredible Hulk by regressing him from a World Conqueror back to a savage beast in the current run of Hulk comics. However, things haven’t gotten much better for Heroes since the layoff. Let’s continue the trend of dipping into the Marvel Comics creative pool. One writer I would suggest bringing on board is Chris Claremont, whom can claim responsibility for the popularity of the X-men in the late 80’s, early 90’s. Other suggestions for writers include Ed Brubaker, whom was successful in placing Bucky Barnes in Captain America’s shoes, or Mark Millar, whom wrote Marvel’s Civil War crossover, and also lent his creative genius to the Iron Man movie.

3. Keep it simple. From the very beginning, Heroes introduced a main cast too big to fit into each episode. There’s also the numerous side characters that seem to get introduced just to be forgotten about or quickly disposed of. The writers tried to create a show as complex as LOST, but with none of the mystery and intrigue. The majority of the characters are forcefully connected in some manner. Claire’s family tree alone makes up for about half of the cast. Sometimes simplicity is what makes a show great. A small, yet intriguing cast can help the storyline remain focused and not so convoluted. I say cut the cast number in half and realize that not everybody has to share the same DNA.

4. Stay consistent; continuity is everything. When it comes to Heroes thus far, one of two conclusions can be drawn: either the writers have short term memory, or they think we are idiots. It’s never a smart move to question your audiences intelligence. Quite a few plot points have been introduced, toyed with for a little while, then swept under the rug. Are we just supposed to forget about Peter’s Irish girlfriend that was left in an alternate reality? Or, how about Claire’s flying boyfriend that was never seen again after the second season? What ever happened to Nathan’s wife and children? The type of viewers that watch a show such as Heroes are not the type to be forgiving about continuity errors.

5. Stick to the script; everybody loves the underdog. There is one formula that is always a sure bet when it comes to writing about super heroes: the leading character(s) should be the underdog. The villain should overpower them, either in strength or intelligence. The odds will look insurmountable, until the hero proves he is worthy of the title, and outsmarts the opposition. Heroes on the other hand, has never quite presented a villain that posed much of a threat. Throughout the run, the main villainy focus has been centered around a faceless agency, with a lame boss at the helm. At the beginning of the third season, a group of prospective super powered villains were introduced, only to have been lost in obscurity (see #4). Some of the good guys, such as Peter and Hiro, were way over-powered and had to have their abilities neutralized just to balance things out. My suggestion is to start off the new season by introducing a menacing new villain or team of villains, and try not to let the fight be so one sided.

There you have it, 5 quick and basic suggestions on how to remove Heroes from the creative slump it is currently in. Better to go out like a roaring lion, than a sleeping lamb. Oh, and one last suggestion: give up on the whole played out painting the future concept! If I see one more person’s eyes turn white, I’m so burning my Ali Larter poster!

Enter the Age of the Netbook

2009-02-28T23:05:00.005-06:00

Ever since a company called Asus took a chance on low-powered notebook called the EEE PC, the computing industry has been stricken by a unpredicted turn of events. Prior to the EEE PC, notebook manufacturers seemed to be in a technological race to see whom could fit the most horsepower into their products. The EEE PC, with the limited ability to do much more than surf the net, not only coined the term Netbook, but also proved that consumers are more than willing to pay less to do less. Don’t even get me started on the long tail.

Fast forward a couple of years, and just about every major PC manufacturer (sans one notable absentee) has entered the netbook foray. Despite my initial hesitance and naysay, I finally caved in and purchased a Dell Mini 9. This came after the realization that 90% of my activity on a PC involves a web browser. The other 10% consists of typing up a document or spreadsheet, and touching up the occasional photo. All of which can be accomplished through a web browser.

Thus far, Netbooks have typically shared the same characteristics: a low-powered Intel Atom Processor, running either Ubuntu Linux or Windows XP, with a 10” or smaller display. I chose the Dell Mini 9 over the competition, such as the Lenovo Ideapad or the HP Mini, for a couple of reasons. For one, the Dell Mini 9 is built with a solid state drive in mind, which combined with the fan-less cooling system, makes for one quiet, sturdy device. Also, I have always had a fondness for Dell products, and do believe that they make quality hardware.

When I ordered my Mini 9 from the Dell site, I went for the cheapest configuration possible; 4 GB ssd, 512 MB RAM, running Ubuntu. Also included, is three USB ports, VGA and ethernet ports, audio in and out jacks, and an SD card slot. I also opted for an arguably decent built-in 1.3mp webcam. I then navigated to mydigitaldiscount.com, and scooped up a 2 GB Transcend RAM stick, and a 32 GB Runcore ssd. The logic behind going with a third-party solid state drive, is if the drive that ships with the Mini 9 can be considered first generation ssd technology, then the Runcore drive can be considered third-gen, with 4x-6x faster write speeds. The total cost at the end of the day, was just about $450; still a bargain for what you get.

A 32 GB hard drive may seem small, but it is more than enough if you know how to cut the fat. I used nlite and vlite to slim down my OS installs, giving me a triple boot Win7\WinXP\Ubuntu system. A class 6 SDHC card can provide you with up to 16 GB of local storage for a reasonable price. Some tweaks are strongly encouraged in order to get the most out of your sold state drive, such as disabling write-caching, indexing, and defragmentation. You can also save your Firefox and Internet Explorer temp files to RAM, to not only speed up your browsing performance, but also increase the longevity of your ssd. The mydellmini.com forums are an excellent resource for tips, tweaks, and troubleshooting.

After spending a week with my Dell Mini 9, I must say I am quite pleased with my purchase. The keyboard was a major concern for me, as Dell compensated for the big letter keys by moving around and shrinking the lesser used keys. However, the adjustments make sense for most part, and become second nature after a while. The back-lit screen is very bright, and the device itself never gets too hot. The 4 cell battery provides as decent of battery life as would be expected. I will also point out that I was shocked at how well Windows 7 runs on a netbook, and it has been my OS of choice thus far.

In short, if you are in the market for a notebook and find yourself spending most of your time in a web browser, or if you are looking for a secondary device to do some on-couch browsing while watching television, consider a getting yourself a netbook. While there are many options out there, the Dell Mini 9 comes highly recommended.

Beer Mixology 101

2009-02-14T23:47:00.005-06:00

Studies have shown that one glass of wine a day provides significantly positive health benefits, such as reducing blood clots, higher estrogen levels (for women, of course), etc. It is also a known fact that one glass of wine is equivalent to one glass of beer. Therefore, by transitive logic, one beer a day is good for you, right? So, if you drink multiple beers, you are only contributing to a longer and healthier life. Argue not my logic, but only accept it unconditionally. ;)

Here’s a little known fact about me, I am actually a certified Mixologist. Well, I’ve never bartended professionally, and technically, my certification expired a couple of years ago. But, the principles of mixology rarely change, and it doesn’t take much to learn your way behind a bar.

How, you may ask, does mixology relate to beer? Well unbeknownst to the masses, there is a whole art and science behind mixing two or more beers together, and creating a tasty Frankenstein concoction of malt, hops, and yeast. The following, is two examples of such, guaranteed to prove that 1+1 can indeed equal 3.

1. The top two of my personal favorite alcoholic beverages are undeniably, Sam Adams and Guinness. What do you get when you mixed the two together? You get a Black and Tan or Black and Sam (or Patriot Pint). Whatever the hell you call it, you get Guinness on top, and Sam Adams on bottom. The different densities of the two alcoholic beverages causes them to separate in your glass, giving you two drinks in one sitting. The variable flavors of Sam Adams’ products, such as Cherry Wheat or White Ale, provide multitude of varieties to hold you over until Egg Nog season.

2. If Sam Adams and Guinness are my favorite beers, then Leinenkugel, is a close second (or third? I’m confused). Like Sam Adams, Leinenkugel provides a variety of flavorful offerings, such as the citrusy Sunset Wheat or the maple oriented Fireside Nut Brown. My favorite combination would have to be: one part Honey Weiss, one part Berry Weiss. Fruity enough for your feminine equal, yet bold enough to sneakily impair your judgment. Drink with caution, as the Fruity Pebbles taste will catch up to you!

As always, feel free to experiment and come up with your own chemistry class contrivances. In a world of spinning rooms, remember, the ceiling is the limit.

This Guy Still Blogs?

2009-02-07T20:32:00.003-06:00

Well, not in the past 9 months, I haven’t. However, I have been trying to push myself back into blogging. As a component of my self-motivation, I have changed the blog name and url, thus un-pigeon holing myself from the world of technology. Far be it, for the geek in me to not post about what I am most passionate about. But, at least it will not be out of place to expand my horizons.

As for what I have been up to: working my ass off, trying to stay physically fit, and building on my education. Working in the Information Technology field is always a hustle, in a world where the IT Guy is becoming less and less important. Despite my gripes, I can be nothing but grateful that I am still employed during our troubled economic times (take a drink). Education-wise, I have been racking up some computing certifications, and am preparing to begin a tenure towards a degree in Management Information Systems. Hectic schedules indeed.

The only time life holds us back is when we refuse to move forward…

Tech Tip: Surviving the BSOD

2008-05-20T11:33:00.013-05:00

Though it is not exclusive to any particular operating system, the BSOD, or Blue Screen of Death, is a term that has become synonymous with the Windows OS. It usually signifies that your PC has suffered from a critical system error and was forced to shut itself down to prevent damage. Yet, as advanced as technology has grown over the years, engineers have yet to discover a way to present error messages to us in a clear, easily understandable language. Thus, as we begin to be bombarded by these cryptic messages, we often think the situation is hopeless, and we are stuck with a very expensive paper weight. However, this is not the case, and the BSOD can be decrypted. The following instructions will help you understand what is causing your Windows XP system to crash, and from that information, you can determine how to alleviate the problem.

BSOD's are usually caused by bad device drivers or incompatible ".dll" files. One important thing to know about the all elusive Blue Screen of Death, is that when such a system crash occurs, a small file is created. This file is called a minidump or crash dump, and includes information pertaining to why the crash occurred. Not surprisingly, these minidumps are all but illegible. However, there are tools out there that help you analyze the contents and determine the culprit of your crashes. To verify that your PC is set up to save crash dumps, hit up the Control Panel>System>Advanced Tab>Start Up and Recovery>Settings, and refer to the lower third of the window. Take note of the directory location.

A good tool for performing such an analysis, without typing away at the command line, is WinDbg. You can find it as part of the Debugging Tools for Windows. When you first launch WinDbg, you will see a blank window. The first thing to do, is tell it where it can find the symbols needed to decipher the minidump. Go to File>Symbol File Path; copy and paste this path into the text box...

SRV*c:\symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols

Select Ok. After that, hit File>Save Workspace, so that you don't have to insert that code every time you fire up WinDbg. To analyze a minidump, go to File>Open Crash Dump, and navigate to the location of your dump files, usually in c:\windows\minidump. The dump files usually contain the date of the crash in the file name, which is quite helpful. Once you have one selected, you will be asked if you want to save the base workspace information, select no. WinDbg will then work its magic and run its analysis. Once complete, the only part you care about is at the end, and should look something like this...

WinDbg will tell you what probably caused the crash. You may not be familiar with what is listed, but a quick Google search should clear up any confusion. In the example above, savonaccesscontrol.sys is listed as the cause of the system crash. A simple search will reveal that this particular file is associated with Sophos Anti-Virus. A basic uninstall and reinstall of Sophos will prevent any further crashes. Another minidump analysis on a different PC revealed that nwfs.sys caused the system to crash. This particular file is related to the Novell Client for Windows, and after searching around, I was able to find and download a Patch Kit that fixed the crashes. If it turns out that a device driver is causing your crashes, you may want to rollback to an earlier version.

Now that you possess the knowledge of how to debug a minidump, may you never lose another PC to the dreaded Blue Screen of Death!

Epic FAIL! XBOX 360 Edition

2008-05-09T08:02:00.008-05:00

As I begin this blog post, I would like to point out that I have been a proud owner of an XBOX 360 Elite for about a year now. Other than the constant fear that the console will red ring at any moment, it has proven itself an excellent, hardcore gaming system. With that said, it is of my opinion that the XBOX 360 has been doomed since its conception, and will succumb to the increasingly superior PlayStation3. And, Microsoft has only themselves to blame.

As much as I love my XBOX 360, I can go on all day about what I dislike about the system. Not my system, but the the system in general. The first dissapointment comes in the form of the hard drive. The Premium edition ships with 20GB of storage. Do companies even manufacture 20GB hard drives any more? Could we, as consumers, even purchase a 20GB hard drive if we wanted to? What this tells us is that Microsoft is going out of their way to skimp on the hardware to save a couple bucks. Quite insulting if you ask me, considering how cheap storage has become these days. Don't get me started on the 120GB add-on for $179. I recently purchased a 750GB Western Digital MyBook for the same price. Unacceptable.

Speaking of skimping on hardware to save a couple bucks, how much does a 802.11g chip cost? I guess it doesn't matter, because Microsoft is more than happy to sell you an adapter for $100. It is a shame that they are allowed to get away with overcharging for a feature that should naturally be built in. Even the Nintendo Wii has an internal wireless networking card! Also on the topic, how crummy is it that Microsoft is using a proprietary RF technology for their controllers? Way to crush innovation and not let any third party developers create their own game pads without having to pay outrageous royalties. Heaven forbid the consumers should be allowed a choice. The XBOX 360 has built-in Bluetooth, so that means that we can pair up our Bluetooth keyboards and headsets right? Of course not. You are, however, more than welcome to use a Microsoft branded peripheral; as long as it was developed for the 360.

How about the XBOX 360's redeeming quality, the online aspect? Sure the online gaming experience is better implemented and nicely polished on the 360, but the Sony engineers are not sitting around twiddling their thumbs. Multiplayer gaming will only get better on the PS3, and if Sony ever goes live with their PS Home online network, it's a wrap. Sure, you can purchase a wide selection movies and TV shows on the 360, but the interface clearly pales in comparison to what Apple offers with iTunes and the AppleTV. I won't even get into the whole HD DVD fiasco...

I don't know about you, but I absolutely refuse to purchase anything that requires points. We already have a currency system, let's not make it more complicated than it needs to be. Microsoft is clearly resorting to a method similar to when you buy tickets at a carnival. The concept is designed to always leave you with a leftover balance, so that you are tempted to purchase more points, or take a loss. It also creates a sense of confusion for the consumer, since it is difficult to calculate the dollars-to-points ratio. Why exactly do we tolerate this?

It is pretty clear that the only reason the XBOX 360 is even considered relevant in the gaming world is because of the year head start that Microsoft had over Sony and Nintendo. That year long head start also comes with it's own consequences. The system was admittingly rushed out to consumers, leading to a faulty product that crashes if you look at it funny. Microsoft has since been playing catch up, and has to spend a lot of time and money being reactive, instead of proactive. When this happens, innovation tends to get stifled, and the consumers are the ones that suffer. Thankfully, Microsoft is not a monopoly when it comes to the gaming industry, and they will not be invulnerable to defeat.

The Dawn of a Digital Millennium

2008-05-01T16:40:00.011-05:00

Unfortunately, due to my heavy workload, I haven't had much opportunity to post any blogs lately. Well, I'm always willing to take a few minutes out of the day to discuss my favorite tech gadget and living room centerpiece, the AppleTV! The short and stout device has been on the receiving end of a bit of attention lately, as movie studio support looks to be getting stronger. The first sign of such, came when Apple made a press release stating that they will begin providing digital downloads of new movies from a slew of major studios, on the same day as their DVD release. This is obviously good news for Apple, whose iTunes store has had scarce offerings from their movie section, typically consisting of flicks from Disney and Paramount. This is also good news for us consumers, because it shows that the movie studios are finally seeing the light and embracing digital formats as a serious form of content distribution.

Where the AppleTV comes in the equation, is that movies are now available for purchase right from the set-top box. Now that you can rent and purchase movies, as well as television shows, from the comfort of your living rooms, will this change the game for traditional retail stores? Are the end of days for brick-and-mortar stores coming sooner than later? One could imagine that Walmart is taking notice, seeing as how Apple has already begun to eat their lunch in the music side of the business. I wouldn't put it past Walmart if they started focusing more attention on digital downloads. Expect other big retailers, such as Target and Best Buy to do the same.

Alright, confession time! I wasn't aware that you couldn't previously buy movies from the AppleTV, seeing as how I have never attempted to acquire one. Despite the major influx of studio support, consumers (such as I) may still be discouraged by the included DRM and high prices that match their physical counterparts. Why pay 15 dollars for a heavily restricted digital download, when for a couple bucks more, you can own the easily cracked physical copy that includes special features? We can only hope that studios begin realizing that DRM only hurts the honest consumers, and too much of it encourages us to seek our inner-pirates. Be it baby steps that the studios are taking, they at least seem to be moving in the right direction. I look forward to the day where I never have to see another shiny disc again.

Tech Tip: One Library, Multiple Accounts (mac)

2008-03-31T21:36:00.026-05:00

One of the major advantages of iTunes is how it manages your library for you. Just import the songs, and let iTunes handle the rest.

Unfortunately, there are some aspects of library management that iTunes gets all wrong. For instance, if you share your mac with your spouse\siblings\roommates, you may be all too accustomed with having multiple user accounts. What this means media-wise, is that for each user account, there exists a separate iTunes library. This may be a preferred method if you and your mac-mates have different tastes in music. But, if you happen to share music interests, it would be handy to have every user access the same library. After all, there is absolutely no reason to have multiple copies of the same tracks on the same hard drive.

The ability to share one iTunes library amongst multiple users, is made possible by using aliases. First, it should be noted that there is a difference between an alias and a shortcut. Whereas a shortcut provides a quicker means of launching an executable or reaching a destination, without having to navigate through a folder structure, an alias acts more as a representative of another object. It references another object or location, and can be used in ways that shortcuts cannot. For instance, instead of two users having separate existing iTunes libraries, you can have one library, and reference that library to the other account.

A key preparation step, is to make sure that each user can navigate to the other user's iTunes folder, usually found under /users/username/music. You would normally be unable to do this, due to permissions. However, if you click on each folder in the path, and hit 'command i', you can grant the appropriate permissions towards the bottom of the info window. I would suggest granting the Read permission to the Music folder, and Read + Write to the iTunes folder under each account.

After permissions are granted, you may want to follow the steps outlined in my previous blog, to merge multiple existing libraries. Instead of navigating to a networked mac, you would navigate to the library location under the other user account. Once you have migrated the libraries under one account, or if you are starting from scratch, navigate to the iTunes folder of the account that will be hosting the library. Right (control) click the iTunes Library file, and select Make Alias. You then want to take that alias and move it to the same folder under the other user account's directory. Once the alias has been moved, delete the 'alias' from the name. It should read 'iTunes Library', but will be distinguishable as an alias by an arrow in the icon. Now, you are just about finished.

Once those steps have been performed, log in under another user account that you will be sharing the library with. Go ahead and launch iTunes, then head to Preferences>Advanced, and change the location of the library to the iTunes Music folder where the actual media files reside. This may be under the host account's iTunes folder, or possibly on an external drive, depending on how you roll. That's it, you're done! The beauty part is, as any user adds or removes files from their iTunes library, it will be reflected to the other user(s), the next time they launch iTunes. Just a precaution, make sure that multiple users are not accessing the library at the same time, or you may face corruption. Now be friendly, and share nice!

Disclaimer: Software has a tendency to be updated over time. Some concepts and menu locations are subject to change.

Tech Tip: Merging iTunes Libraries, The Easy Way

2008-03-26T15:26:00.015-05:00

If you are like myself, and have become one with the ways of the iTunes, you may have come across the situation of fragmented libraries. For instance, let's say your main library resides on a desktop at home, while you also have a progressively growing collection on your notebook that you take with you while you travel. Or, you may have your library on your personal computer, while your sibling or spouse has theirs. You may have been tempted to merge those two libraries, but were discouraged by having to plan and implement a process that won't leave you or your music library feeling overwhelmed. This post will suggest one method of successfully and easily combining two iTunes libraries, while keeping both the method and results clean.

The first thing you want to do, is prep iTunes on the computer that you are moving the songs to. Launch iTunes, enter the Preferences, and navigate to the Advanced tab. Make sure you uncheck the boxes that state Keep iTunes Music folder organized and Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library. While this is usually a best practice to follow, we don't quite want iTunes to perform these functions just yet.

The next step is to mount the drive of second computer. There are a few different ways to accomplish this, but that is a topic for another day. Mac-connect.com is a good resource for performing such feats in mixed operating system environments. Basically, you want to be able to navigate to where the iTunes library is stored on the second computer, from your original workstation. Once you have that ability, from iTunes on the first computer, go to File>Add To Library. Navigate to and select, the iTunes Library folder on the second computer. This will add those tracks to your library, but since we unchecked those boxes earlier, the files will not be copied over to the destination hard drive. This gives you an opportunity to sort through the junk.

While in iTunes, go to View>View Duplicates. Presented to you, will be the songs that you may end up with two of, after merging your libraries. Before deleting any duplicates, make sure that they are indeed the same songs, and not just two tracks that share the same name. Another house cleaning step you can take, is to view your entire library in iTunes, and sort by Date Added. This should place your newly added tracks at the top of your list. Skim through them and see if there are any that you don't want to keep.

Once you are finished cleaning up, go back into Preferences>Advanced tab, and re-check those two boxes that we unchecked earlier. Hit OK to apply your changes. Back in your main window, go to Advanced, and select Consolidate Library. This will take all of those files you just added to your library and sorted through, and copy those files to the location of the iTunes library on your destination computer. Be aware that this process may take quite awhile, depending on library size and connection speed. Once all is said and done, your two libraries should be merged and migrated together to live happily on one computer.

Disclaimer: Software has a tendency to be updated over time. Some concepts and menu locations are subject to change.

On Tour, BBL!

2008-03-21T11:39:00.010-05:00

It always touches a warm spot in my heart when developers provide us with new and exciting ways to use products that we already own. Such is the case with Activisions upcoming iteration of Guitar Hero for the Nintendo DS. The game will be entitled 'Guitar Hero: On Tour', and will ship with a pretty impressive peripheral.

Activision stirred up quite a bit of rumors and anticipation over a year ago, when they revealed that they were interested in branching the Guitar Hero franchise onto the Nintendo Wii. How could a game that requires a guitar to be played on the home consoles, be translated to a hand held gaming system? I think it's fairly safe to say that usage of the touchscreen alone would not prove adequate enough for such a game. Leave it to the internet community to come up with some zany conceptions. Click the pictures for a larger view.

Surprisingly, the actual peripheral is rather creative and functional. The Guitar Grip will plug into the Game Boy Advance slot, and allow players to slip their hand through a strap and finger away at the chords. The game will play in the vertical book position, and will include a guitar-pick shaped stylus for strumming on the touch screen.
What will be interesting to me, is how the music will sound. So far, more than 20 licensed songs have been confirmed. However, it should be noted that the game is obviously on a cartridge, so don't expect CD quality tunes. Also, single player and local multiplayer modes have been confirmed, but no word yet on online play. I know I will be keeping a watchful eye for this awesome looking game.

Tele-Targets

2008-03-16T22:00:00.003-05:00

The concept of targeted ads has become a staple of our internet structure. It is the foundation of revenue for many companies, and in some cases, the sole means of success. Certain aspects of our internet activities, such as purchase history and search terms, are tracked and ran through algorithms, so that only the most relevant and meaningful advertisements are displayed to us. This has been proven incredibly effective on the web, but has thus far been unable to surpass that boundary and make its way into our living rooms. That may soon change, as targeted ads now have a good chance at popping up on your television screen.

The New York Times reports that for months now, six of the US's largest cable companies have been coming together and formalizing a plan to bring targeted ads to our living rooms. Participating cable providers include Comcast, Time Warner, CableVision, Cox Communication, and Bright House Networks . Essentially, this would place a smarter cable box under our televisions, that could potentially use a variety of methods to indicate whom shall see what advertisements. Examples of targeting could include tracking what shows you watch, what commercials you fast forward past, your environmental surroundings, etc. In essence, if you are a male, living in a penthouse and spending most of your time watching The Sopranos, advertisers would know not to waist time showing you commercials involving diapers or Broadway musicals.

Though targeted ads may seem appealing to us consumers, does such a practice pose to be anti-competitive, and a direct violation of our privacy? You may ask how it could be considered anti-competitive, when basically the same concept has been accepted when it comes to the internet. How this differs from what we are used to on the web, is that with cable ads, the service provider will also be supplying the ads. Where on the internet, Google or Microsoft may be issuing the ads while AT&T or Earthlink for example, is supplying the internet to us. As is common practice for cable television, for every hour of content, the network (ABC, CBS) is allotted around 15 minutes for advertisements, while the provider (Comcast, Time Warner) is given about 2 minutes. If and when these targeted television ads become a reality, the advertisements will be presented to us through our cable boxes, via the cable provider. The networks would then have to go through these cable companies to get their advertisements to us. It is no secret that selling advertisements provides the vein of existence for cable networks. Obviously the cable companies would potentially benefit greatly from this balance shift, while the networks could take a revenue hit. Is it only a matter of time before the cable companies become pushy and demand more advertisement time to themselves?

As for our privacy, this has always been an issue on the internet, and this concern will only increase when it enters our living rooms. When surfing the web, more knowledgeable users may be skeptical when accepting certain cookies, or when opting in to usage tracking services. Will we have this option when it comes to our cable box? It is highly unlikely that we will be able to opt-in to certain networks tracking our viewing habits, while opting out of others. We all have our guilty pleasures, be them Flava of Love or Sex and the City; will those indulgences be exposed via commercial breaks? Furthermore, do we really want the powers to be to know what we watch, when we watch it? How long before someone's cable box is held as evidence and used against them in the court of law? We have already seen many cases where a PC has been confiscated for that exact purpose. At what point exactly do we realize we are living George Orwell's prophecy?

While both the consumer and cable companies may benefit from targeted ads, what price are we willing to pay for convenience?

Podcasts You Should Be Listening To, But Might Not Be...

2008-03-11T10:37:00.009-05:00

Ever since the popularity explosion of the iPod and iTunes, podcasting has become more accepted than ever as a form of mainstream media. No matter what your interests are, be them Technology, Media, Cooking, etc., you are guaranteed to find a podcast to suit your needs. Allow me to recommend a few of my favorite, lesser known podcasts that you may want to check out...

If consider yourself a hardcore, or even casual gamer, there are quite a few semi-professional gaming relate podcasts for you, such as Xbox Live's Major Nelson Radio or EGM's 1UP Yours. My favorite video game podcast, however, would be the more independent Video Game Outsiders podcast. The shows hosts consist of John Jakobson, Kyle Jones, and Michelle Madison, all of whom come from different professional backgrounds and lifestyles. The weekly show, which was named podcast of the year by Gamertag Radio during its 2nd Annual Xbox Community Awards show, takes a neutral and unbiased look at the current events of gaming. The hosts have great chemistry, though they have been known to bicker, albeit humorously, at times.

If you are a fan of the TV show, LOST, and would like to keep up to date on news, easter eggs, and theories, there is no better place to look than the The Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack. This hilariously clever father and son (though you would never know it) team, manages to put out two shows a week. The first of which, is recorded immediately following the airing of a LOST episode. There, you can find a recap of the episode, as well as the listeners initial impressions. The following Monday's episode contains a review at what we may have missed, as well as a preview of the following weeks episode. The show would not be complete without one of Jack's Crackpot Theories of the Week. This podcast is a definite must-listen if you are a fan of LOST.

If your find yourself entertained by listening to a couple industry vets shoot the breeze, than look no further than the East Meets West Podcast. Hosted by Cnet's Tom Merrit, and Revision3's Roger Chang, this podcast touches on a variety of topics, but is naturally geared towards the tech side. Both hosts have earned their stripes in the tech community, and come together on their own time to share their expertise with us. The conversation doesn't stop with tech though, as they often discuss topics based on culture and society.

A little heavier on the tech side, we have PixleCorps's MacBreak Tech. This podcast gets straight to the nitty gritty of tech talk. If you can get past the monotone voices, you may learn a few things, as hosts John Foster, Kenji Kato, Ben Durbin and Craig Syverson pick a topic and chop it to pieces. Previous topics include Emulation, Mac myths, and Backups. This podcast may not be for everyone, but Mac addicts and tech heads alike will appreciate it.

AppleTV Take 2: One Month Later

2008-03-10T14:47:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, Apple released the AppleTV Take 2 software update. This update took a handy, yet all but ignored, media center set-top box, and breathed some new life into it. I wrote my early review, summarizing my initial thoughts. After a month of road testing, I am ready to revisit my review and see if my opinions still stand.

In my early review, I mentioned my first impressions when it comes to using the graphical interface. I still prefer the classic AppleTV interface to the new one. It sometimes takes too many button clicks to get to the menu that you want to get to, and navigating with the Apple remote is never a fun task. Another gripe I had was that the focus was geared too heavily towards the apple store. Would it have killed Apple to place access to our own content at the top of each menu, as opposed to the bottom, underneath all of the store options? I should mention that it does get frustrating at times, to have to wait for the movie box art to load in the background before I can begin navigating. Why should my menu navigation have to be hindered by Apple trying to make a quick buck? However, none of this is a true show stopper, and you eventually get used to it. Consider it mere nitpicking, as I have seen much worse interfaces in my time.

The obvious selling point for the AppleTV is the ability to rent high definition movies. Though I was excited about this feature initially, I must say that I now have mixed feelings about the concept. Renting an HD movie does not work as a spur of the moment decision. It takes quite a while to download enough of the movie to begin watching it, so one must plan out the rentals before hand. That fact, coupled with the 'keep for 30 days, watch for 1 day' rental rule, makes for a more complicated equation. I shouldn't have to think that much when it comes to kicking back and watching a movie. It is because of this, I find myself going for the standard movies instead. One more note; in my initial review, I stated that the standard content was 'very near dvd quality'. Now that I have had more time to compare, the non-HD content looks decent, but is not quite good enough to be considered near dvd. Not with the upscaling capabilities that we have become accustomed to.

I originally stated that where the AppleTV really shines, is the Podcasts section of the iTunes store. This opinion still stands, but I did have to reevaluate my usage of it. Whereas, I originally saw this as a means of no longer having to download video Podcasts on my main computer before syncing it over to the AppleTV, I would now say this concept only works under certain conditions. For those video podcasts that are offered in High Definition, it may not be suitable to stream straight from the iTunes store on the AppleTV. Also keep in mind, that when watching podcasts streamed from the iTunes store, there is no easy way to tell when there is a new episode available, or to indicate which episodes you have already watched. There is also no way to bookmark where you have left off on a podcast, so I tend to shy away from streaming lengthy podcasts. The podcasts section does still hold a valuable place in the overall scheme though, and is ideal for those 1-5 minute, medium quality podcasts, that are good for killing some time. For those HD podcasts that I must watch every episode of, I will continue to follow the traditional download-then-sync method.

Apple has a unique ability to train you to think the way they want you to think. They decide when something should be done a certain way, and then force you to abide by their methods until you realize that they were right all along. When first becoming acquainted with the new AppleTV software iteration, I was discouraged by the fact that it was not easy to distinguish what is stored locally on the device, and what is available to stream from your main computer. All content is listed amongst each other, with no indication of where any file is stored. Though it was initially a nuisance to me, I quickly adapted and realized that I don't really care where the files are. The streaming works so well with an AppleTV, that there is no noticeable difference between media that is synced or streamed. It actually becomes rather convenient to have all your data in one menu location, as it limits the amount of navigating you have to do. Damn you Apple for being right once again.

After a month of testing, the AppleTV Take 2 has it's quirks, but it still remains an invaluable component in my home entertainment center.

The Video Game State of the Union

2008-03-03T20:45:00.017-06:00

If there was ever one aspect of technology that has pushed the innovative boundaries at an always increasing rate, it is that of Video Games. Though we have seen our fair share of sequels and clones, there are always those gems that set the bar a little higher than the last wave of trend setters. You may agree that it is the competitive nature of the video game companies, be them indie or major, that brings the creative bests out of the developers. After all, it is only the top selling games that are able to recoup the losses occurred from the production costs. Small, hungry companies can't afford to release duds. But is being successful in today's day and age, considered a gift and a curse? How does it affect the video game industry when companies begin buying each other out and using unfair tactics to gain an advantage over their competitors?

Mergers of Video Game companies are nothing new. However, things get scary when it becomes a game of cat and mouse over dominance and market share. A couple of months ago, media company Vivendi, best known in the video game industry for World of Warcraft (under subsidiary, Blizzard), has begun taking steps towards acquiring Activision. Activision, whom was the first ever third-party game developer, is responsible for such franchises as Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, and the Tony Hawk series. Vivendi plans to merge Activision with its games division, and dub it Activision Blizzard. Individually, both companies have been quite successful, as last year saw record video game sales. Together, this merger would place Activision Blizzard at the number one spot, surpassing EA, in size. Lately, all eyes have been on EA, as a rebuttal has been certainly expected.

Video Game giant, EA is no stranger when it comes to acquisitions. In fact, they have often been criticized for buying smaller development studios primarily for their intellectual properties, and then running those companies into obscurity. Examples of such companies include Origin, Westwood Studios, and Bullfrog. More recently, EA has acquired game studios BioWare and Pandemic. BioWare is best known for it's Sci Fi oriented, action-adventure role playing game Mass Effect, while Pandemic has released the Star Wars: Battlefront series, as well as the shooter, Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction. It was perhaps, this movement that prompted Vivendi to up the ante and purchase Activision. Never to be out done, EA has made a 2 billion dollar bid for rival Take-Two Interactive.

Take-Two Interactive, publisher of the Grand Theft Auto series, has rejected EA's initial offerings, claiming that it undervalued the company. The offer comes at a peculiar time, as Take-Two's subsidiary, Rockstar, is putting the finishing touches on the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV. There is speculation that EA is trying to capitalize on what is expected to be the top-selling game of 2008, while also obtaining Take-Two before their value becomes much higher. However, EA makes the argument that Take-Two is somewhat of a one-hit wonder, and a merger under the EA umbrella would be the smartest move to ensure a healthy pay-off for the shareholders in the long run. As is the trend with publicly owned companies, an offer can be denied by the board, however it is the shareholders that have the final say, thus possibly resulting in a takeover of a hostile nature.

Along with corporate takeovers, EA has been known to use other considerably underhanded tactics to ensure their dominance in the market place, while not taking into consideration what is best for the video game industry or its consumers. After Sega's line of NFL 2K titles (co-published by Take-Two) proved to be a threat to EA's flagship Madden series, EA responded by signing an exclusivity deal with the NFL, as well as a 15 year license agreement with ESPN. In other words, EA is the only company that can publish football games using official NFL teams, rosters, logos, etc. Well, at least College football is up for grabs, right? Nope, EA signed a 6-year licensing deal with the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), as well. This has forced companies to resort to releasing games such as All-Pro Football 2K8 and Blitz: The League, whom both consist of fictional leagues and former NFL veterans.

If the mergers of Vivendi and Activision, as well as EA and Take-Two, fall through, what will this mean for the video game industry? Essentially we will have two corporate giants that deem impossible to compete against. Will the few remaining third-party companies, such as Ubisoft, THQ, and Midway, be fearful of becoming too successful, only to get bought out by a bigger company? Does this mean that we will see fewer third party console-exclusive games? While some consumers may argue that console-exclusive games may force you to purchase multiple game consoles or risk missing out, those same exclusives ensure healthy competition amongst hardware manufacturers. Having multiple game systems to develop for, also pushes creativity and innovation amongst publishers. Is it only a matter of time before corporate greed leads the video game industry becomes as hated as the movie or record industries? Hopefully the consumer gets to make that decision.

Who Opened the Windows?

2008-02-23T22:03:00.012-06:00

In somewhat of a surprising and considerably bold move, Microsoft has recently announced a new strategy that will place them in a friendlier position in terms of open interoperability. In short, they will be publishing their application programming interfaces (APIs) and communication protocols for their high volume products. These products include Windows Vista, the .NET Framework, Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, Office 2007, Exchange Server 2007, and Office SharePoint Server 2007. Microsoft has also pledged not to sue open-source developers who create noncommercial software based on Microsoft's protocols. With that said, let's take a look at what exactly this means for Microsoft, Open Source, and us, the consumers.

To clarify, Microsoft is opening up their APIs, not their source codes. This means that Open Source developers do not have access to how the programs work, but more so how the applications interact with one another. Examples of what we can see as a result, include Mozilla's Thunderbird communicating more tightly with Microsoft's Exchange Server, and possibly replacing Microsoft Outlook as our mandatory mail client. As Paul Thurrott pointed out on the Windows Weekly podcast, we may now be able to sync Google Calendar appointments to our mobile phones without having to jump through chutes and ladders. Perhaps we can get some Macro support in Open Office?

The reason that this announcement is such a surprising move, is because Microsoft has never made life easy for open source developers. Though there exists industry standards that Microsoft are expected to abide by, Microsoft has a habit of forcing their own standards on consumers. Case in point, is the Open Document Format (.odf) that is standardized throughout non-Microsoft office suites, such as Open Office and Lotus Symphony. Microsoft has never embraced the format, while strongly advocating usage of their proprietary OOXML (.xml) format. Being the near monopoly that Microsoft is, they have the clout to set the standards themselves, while bullying any company that attempts to infringe upon their trademarks. These practices have often gotten Microsoft in hot water with committees such as the European Union, whom has sued Microsoft for abuse of their dominant position in the market.

Though it may seem like Microsoft is seeing the light and evolving with the times, some Open Source programmers remain skeptical. For one, Microsoft's pledge to not sue Open Source companies, only applies to non-commercial usage. Thus Microsoft will only play nice, so long as those companies don't plan on profiting off of the agreement. This may be seen as a blatant method of Microsoft maintaining their foothold on the industry. Some individuals believe that Microsoft is only taking these steps to get the European Union off their back, and are also attempting to ensure that their own formats are standardized. Basically, Microsoft is allowing others to adopt their formats, but not committing to embrace those that are already accepted as standards by the Open Source community. Though it seems as it is Open Source, and the consumers as a whole, that are benefiting from this agreement, it is clearly Microsoft that is the true winner.

Blog Hiatus

2008-02-22T12:09:00.002-06:00

I wanted to take the opportunity let my readers know that for the next two/three weeks, I will have to take a bit of a break from blogging. The workload at my place of employment is getting heavier, and I will be utilizing what little free time I have, to study for a certification. As fun as blogging is, until I can do it for a living, it must take a back seat to higher priorities. I may post a blog here and there, but not the three a week that I have been maintaining since I started this site. Thanks for reading! Kthxbai!

Fare Thee Well, HD DVD

2008-02-20T10:06:00.016-06:00

Faced with almost unanimous abandonment, Toshiba has finally decided to throw in the towel, and call it quits in the race for dominance over the future of physical High Definition media. They have already begun reducing shipments of HD DVD players, and are aiming for March of 2008 to be the end point for the format. This movement will cause Toshiba to suffer losses in the hundreds of millions, as they cease production and refocus their business. But, what does this mean for the consumers in the long run?

The obvious winner in the format war is Sony, with its Blu Ray technology. However, will the lack of direct competition slow down innovation and neutralize price reductions? Blu Ray was always the more expensive format of the two, and if it had not been for aggressive price cuts from both camps, we would still be paying a much larger premium to indulge in the new technology. With HD DVD gone, Sony may no longer feel that it needs to lower its prices, as there is no where else for consumers to go. On the other side of the fence, one could argue that Sony does have a reputation to maintain, and if the sales of Blu Ray begin to slump, there is no longer a format war to blame it on. Thus if Blu Ray fails to further penetrate the mainstream, only Sony will be held responsible.

Now that there exists only Blu Ray, how will that affect the gaming scene? With the format war over, consumers will not be so hesitant to commit to Blu Ray. Starting with January, the PS3 has already begun to outsell the XBOX 360. Expect that trend to continue, as bigger and better games will also be released for the system. Microsoft has admitted that it is looking into the possibility of releasing a Blu Ray addon for it's gaming console, however, the Playstation 3 remains to be the more appealing solution. One can only imagine that Microsoft will focus more of its efforts on developing the next successor in its XBOX line.

Is Blu Ray officially declared the winner and sole format to lead us into the future? The concept known as digital downloads may not be so quick to agree with that statement. With the ability to almost instantaneously watch whatever we want, whenever we want, becoming easier and more impressive, is it only a matter of time that this method is embraced by the masses. It is almost a given that physical media will one day cease to exist, and with recent innovations in cloud computing, this eventuality may come sooner than we think. However, the concept of digital downloads in terms of media is concerned, is in its infancy and it will still be a matter of time before we, as a whole, are ready to embrace such a medium. While the tech savvy generation may be looking forward to the day that we are surrounded by nothing but 1's and 0's, the old school mentality of owning a physical media collection still exists. And, with the plaguing problem of broadband limitations and digital rights management, who can blame them? In my personal opinion, we are not quite ready to crown digital media our messiah to lead us into the next generation. Perhaps it will be a different story, once the next iteration of physical media, be it Blu Ray or not, has run its course.

AppleTV Take 2

2008-02-17T21:36:00.014-06:00

The AppleTV, released in March '07, was Apple's way of extending the iPod/iTunes experience into our living rooms. It was a device that you plug into your television and stream content to, from the various Mac or PC's that you may own. It was also met with much criticism, as it was a device that required a high definition output, yet did not offer any high definition content. That fact, coupled with some considerable annoyances (being dependent on a separate computer, no DVR capabilities, etc.), kept the AppleTV from reaching mainstream success.

As one of the AppleTV's earliest adopters, my heart was saddened to see Apple all but abandon the product. Aside from the addition of a Youtube video player, little was mentioned of the gadget. When asked about the product, Steve Jobs went far enough to call the product a hobby. However, if you asked just about anyone who owned an AppleTV, they would surely testify that it has become an essential part of their home entertainment systems. It has definitely earned a permanent place under my Plasma TV. Thus, enthusiasts expressed a sigh of relief at MacWorld '08, when Uncle Steve unveiled that Apple was going take two with the AppleTV, and offer a downloadable software update. An update that would breathe a much needed new life into the media hub. The following, is my review on the AppleTV Take 2.

The First Impression

I must say, upon firing up the new updated AppleTV for the first time, I was a little disappointed with the new graphical interface. The original software iteration greeted you with three-dimensional rotating icons, that scrolled vertically across your screen as you navigated through the different content options that were available to you. Instead of those icons, you are now exposed to a pretty bland and basic two column menu. One side of the menu lists the same content options as that were originally available, sans pretty icons; the other side contains the sub-options for those categories. To me, this new interface feels a little colder and impersonal. It also loses the artistic appeal that was originally associated with the AppleTV. Furthermore, navigating through the menu options now requires many more button clicks. These added button clicks are sure to cause much frustration, as there were many times during menu navigation that my clicks were not accepted, as the AppleTV must have been playing catchup with the directories. In an interface that requires you to click numerous buttons on the remote to get to your content, I think it is imperative that Apple work on improving the button-click recognition in a future software update.

There is no doubt that the focus of the AppleTV is now geared completely towards the iTunes store that can be accessed from the device. For every category of content, options to access the iTunes store are given first priority, while leaving your own content as a second thought. I think it is great that we can now navigate through the online store, and preview and purchase digital content from the comfort of our couches, however, I don't feel this option should be the main focus of the device. I think it is apparent that Apple is trying to milk this device for what it's worth, and that means shoving the store in your face at every opportunity.

The process of accessing your own content from within the AppleTV, also sees somewhat of an overhaul. As with the first software iteration, you could either sync content to your AppleTV, or stream the data from a stand alone computer. However, before the update, it was very easy to distinguish which content was actually sitting on the hard drive in the AppleTV, and differentiate that from what was sitting on your computer in the other room. With this update, the content synced to your AppleTV is displayed amongst the content files on your primary computer that you have associated with the device. There is no clear way to tell what is local and what is not. There is an option in iTunes on the primary computer that allows you to show only the data that is on the AppleTV, but then you wouldn't be able to access any data from your iTunes library on your computer.

The Store

The defining feature of the new AppleTV update is the ability to purchase content from the iTunes store, without needing a separate computer. As expected, Apple did get it right in terms of making the store accessible with the AppleTV remote. Much of the navigating can be performed (albeit frustratingly) using the navigational buttons. The movies and TV shows are grouped together by various categorization methods to help you easily find what you are looking for. There is a search option that works quite well at predicting what you are looking for as you input characters, though it can be a nightmare as the device has a hard time keeping up with your commands.

After purchasing video content, the downloads occur fairly quickly. You can usually begin watching standard definition content within ten seconds of beginning the download. Of course, the speed of the downloads will also depend on the speed of your internet connection. But, even with my 3 mbps down connection, rarely did I notice any hiccups or buffering. I don't know if it is a confirmed fact, but in my opinion, the standard definition content seems to look noticeably better than past iTunes offerings. I downloaded recent episodes of Lost and Jericho, and they seem to be very near DVD quality.

As expected, High Definition movies do not download nearly as fast as the standard def equivalents. It took over two hours of downloading before I was able to begin watching a movie. If you are planning on spending your Friday night with a couple of HD movies from the iTunes store, make sure to plan and download your movies beforehand, or you will spend your Friday playing the waiting game. One thing I did notice, the AppleTV cannot perform background downloading of HD movies. In other words, if you start downloading an HD movie, then begin watching a TV show, the download will pause until you are finished. As far as quality goes, the general consensus is that the iTunes HD offerings look pretty good, but not quite as good as say, a Blu Ray movie.

As for the music portion of the store, I really don't see myself purchasing any audio music tracks from my AppleTV, so it is somewhat useless to me. Where the music store can shine, however, is in the music videos department. Now that you can purchase and watch music videos on your television with ease, this option suddenly becomes more appealing. Even if you aren't interested in purchasing music videos, you can still find yourself getting trapped in the store for hours, while you preview and reminisce over the old school videos that you grew up with. Silk and Jodeci, anyone?

To me, the biggest benefit of having the iTunes store on the AppleTV, is the podcasts section. As with audio music tracks, I couldn't see using the AppleTV to listen to audio podcasts. However, it now acts as my ultimate video podcast aggregator. Prior to this update, if you wanted video podcasts on your AppleTV, you would have to subscribe to them on your computer, download them, then sync (or stream) them to your AppleTV. That sounds like a lot of work to do to watch an episode of GeekBrief. Now, downloading video podcasts are no longer necessary, as they can be watched straight from the iTunes store. An essential feature is the ability to add podcasts to a list of favorites, so that your favorite shows are all in one place for you. The Amazon store-like recommendations ensure that you will discover new podcasts that you hadn't previously heard of. One caveat, is that you are stuck with the podcasts that iTunes offers, as there is no way to insert an rss feed.

The Rest

The AppleTV update also adds some functionality to the photo aspect. You can now view public pictures from a flickr or .mac account. Unfortunately, the inability to log in to these accounts, means that you will not be able to see your private photos. You can also now sync photos from more than one computer. This may be appealing to you if have your photos scattered throughout different computers in your house.

One virtually unmentioned added feature, is the ability to use your AppleTV as an AirTunes device. This feature has been more commonly associated with the Airport Extreme, and allows you to stream music from your computer to these capable devices. You may ask what's the point, if you can already stream music to your AppleTV. Well, this feature works a little differently. Let's say you have one AppleTV in your living room, one in the basement, and an Airport Extreme in your upstairs bedroom, you can stream your music to all of these devices at once, and have the same song playing throughout your house. Unfortunately, in order to get this to work with the AppleTV (correct me if I'm wrong), you have to be utilizing the digital audio port on the device. I have my AppleTV connected to my plasma via HDMI, and have been unable to get this feature to work. Just make sure you have this setting enabled in your iTunes preferences.

Other unadvertised features come in the form of bug fixes. Prior to the update, my AppleTV froze up quite often. Pretty much every time I awoke it, the device would require a forced reboot. Thankfully, I have not had to restart my AppleTV since applying the update. Reports also indicate that the update may have also fixed connectivity issues when it comes to communicating with multiple computers. Now if they could only fix that flaky response problem...

The Conclusion

This is one device that should appeal to the masses, even if they don't realize it. I would honestly consider purchasing an AppleTV for my computer illiterate mother, just so she can rent movies without making the trip to Blockbuster, as well as be able to browse her family's photos on Flickr. As mentioned, I have always been a major supporter of the AppleTV. I think it is great to be able to take the content from my computer and access it on the big screen in the living room. Though I may have my criticisms when it comes to the refined graphical interface, the AppleTV does still accomplish everything it was set out to do. With the added bonuses of the new features, the AppleTV just becomes more of a must have.

Top Tech Weekly Round Up 4

2008-02-14T10:43:00.008-06:00

This week we discuss hostile rejections, coffin carpentry, wireless fidelity, and another Cupertino roundup!

Corporate rejections are always harsh! In a follow up to last week's roundup, Yahoo has formally rejected Microsoft's offer to acquire the company. Executives submitted the rejection, stating that the offer devalues the Yahoo brand, while also hinting to the fact that they would be open to a bigger offer. Expect one to made, as Microsoft is not willing to let up so easily. They have stated that they are still committed to the combination of the two companies. The Yahoo execs can reject all they want, but what it ultimately boils down to, is the shareholders. How much money will it take for them to give in?

Does Microsoft really want Yahoo? Cnet's Don Reisinger doesn't believe so. In his blog, he compares this proposed acquisition to the 1994-95 proposal that Microsoft made to acquire Intuit, the maker of Quicken. Back then, Intuit was giving Microsoft more competition than they could handle. Naturally, Microsoft made them an offer they couldn't refuse. As an anti-monopolistic precaution, the courts stepped in and put a stop to it. However, that was all Microsoft needed in order to perform due diligence, and have a look at Intuits internal books. A year later Microsoft gained the upper hand and pulled far enough away from Intuit, that they could never catch back up. Is Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Yahoo fueled by deceit? It seems far fetched, but I wouldn't put it past them.

I'm not quite sure how many nails it takes to seal a coffin, but it does seem like Count Dracula could sleep in the one built for HD DVD. Earlier this week, Netflix had announced that it is no longer going to be stocking new movies in the HD DVD format. A shame, considering Netflix was one of the few places you could still find HD DVDs, after Blockbuster already made the decision to side with Blu Ray. Meanwhile, Netflix has raised quite a stir with a recent survey that they released, asking consumers if they would be interested in streaming movies to an XBOX 360 or PS3. I know I would be pretty damn interested, but I have a feeling Microsoft and Sony wouldn't.

Anybody whom has ever attempted to transfer an even somewhat large file via bluetooth, knows that it can be a tedious and unreliable process. Things may change for you if you have an 802.11 card sitting next to that bluetooth antenna! The Bluetooth Special Interests Group (BSIG) has announced that bluetooth transfers will soon be able to piggy back off of the signal of wireless 802.11 technology, to achieve must faster and reliable data transfers. I always get a warm and fuzzy feeling when technologies come together and co-exist as one. Unfortunately, we shouldn't expect to see this new spec come to fruition until sometime in 2009.

In other wireless news, fanatics of over-priced coffee now have reason to rejoice. Starbucks has announced that they are switching their in-store wireless carriers from T-mobile to AT&T. What this means for Starbucks card members, is two free hours of wifi goodness, and $4 for an additional two hours. T-Mobile HotSpot customers are still allowed in on the action at no additional cost, through an agreement between T-Mobile and AT&T. With the recent innovations between Starbucks and Apple's iPhone, this was a partnership waiting to happen.

Did somebody mention Apple? The Cupertino based company kicked the week off by releasing a new and more refined version of their photo editing and management tool, Aperature. The following day, they update d OS X to version 10.5.2, which includes many security patches and bug fixes. Then, after being delayed by two weeks, we were blessed with the long awaited AppleTV updated. I will be digging my claws into it this weekend and will post a full review soon. Would Apple dare get back into gaming? After the disaster known as the Pippin, one would hope not! However, suspicions have arose after a trademark was patented by Apple, that sounded more like it came from Nintendo. While this can just be signs of what's to come for the iPhone once the software development kit is released later this month, it may also answer why Apple was looking to hire a game developer a while back.

Tech Tip: Smart Playlsts 2

2008-02-13T13:01:00.015-06:00

Earlier in the week, I posted a blog on how to combine multiple smart playlists to create one ultimate playlist. This time, I will take the opportunity to show you some examples of simple smart playlists that can accomplish things that you may not have thought possible with iTunes.

If you are like me, you may have digitized your entire music library. Sure you may save space in your house, but you now have lots of music in your iTunes library that you don't want in your steady rotation. Perhaps you don't want to take the time to weed out the good from the bad. Why not let that selection occur naturally? Let's take this approach...

One thing you may not have known about iTunes, is that it keeps track of how many times you skip a song. You can create a smart playlist, using the conditions, 'Skip Count is less than 3'. You can change the number variable to suit your preferences. I suggest not checking the 'Limit to' box. Essentially, you will start off with a pretty big playlist, containing the majority of your library. As you are listening to your music, and you start skipping the songs you don't want to listen to, they will start to remove themselves from the list. Eventually, you will end up with a playlist that contains only the music that you never skip. If, by accident, a song is removed that you want back in the play list, you can right click the song in iTunes, and select 'reset skip count'.

The playlist method I just described starts you off with a big list, and allows you to narrow down what is available. Another option of achieving the same goal, yet taking a different route, is to create a playlist based on your play count. With this configuration, you will start off with a small amount of music in your playlist. As you listen to music in your main library, whether in iTunes or an iPod, once a song hits a certain amount of plays, it will add itself to your playlist. This playlist method would be the optimal configuration if you want to fill a limited sized playlist for use on an iPod.

One aspect of iTunes that people rarely take advantage of, is the music ratings. As you are listening to your music, you can take the opportunity to rate the song using iTunes' 5 star method. This can be achieved while listening to music on an iPod, by pressing the middle button until you get to the ratings selection. Rating your songs can serve more of a purpose than providing you another way to sort your tracks.

Let's say you are getting tired of the shuffle feature always playing the same songs. Most likely, you have a lot of songs just sitting there, that never get played. Sometimes you forget those songs even existed. You can create a smart playlist that uses conditions based on ratings. In this example, you are creating a playlist with all of your songs that are rated between two and four stars. You can also set your limit to select the 'least often played' items. This will grab any song that you consider average or slightly above average, and only those that rarely get any play. This is a good way of discovering those old tracks that you like, but forgot that you owned.

As always, I encourage you to experiment with iTunes' Smart Playlists, and feel free to share your music concoctions.

Tech Tip: iTunes Smart Playlists

2008-02-10T19:25:00.001-06:00

There is no denying that iPod and iTunes have become household names. And with that element, comes the need for playlists. Creating a playlist can be as simple as dragging and dropping music tracks into your playlist folder. However, if you want to get creative, while letting iTunes do all of the post-creation maintenance for you, I suggest learning to utilize the feature known as Smart Playlists. Smart playlists can make life much easier when it comes to listening to your music, and is much easier to manage than a manually created dumb playlist. Here I will share one example of a smart playlist that should work for everyone. It will keep the unwanted music away, while always keeping the tracks you want at your disposal.

The first step is to create a playlist that eliminates the majority of songs that you don't want in your normal rotation when you listen to your music. We all have those songs that we don't want to get rid of, yet we don't want to always listen to them either. We can approach this process of elimination by cutting the Genres that we don't want to appear in our playlist. Let's say, for instance, you don't want to hear any Classical or Country music while you exercise. Seeing as how Christmas has come and gone, we can toss out the Holiday music as well.

First, you define the conditions. For this particular example the conditions would be, 'Genre does not contain Holiday', 'Genre does not contain Classical', and 'Genre does not contain Country'. Make sure that you are matching 'all of the rules', and not 'any of the rules'. This is very important because it states that 'all' conditions must be met in order for a song to appear in your playlist. Whereas if you were matching 'any' of the the rules, a song could make it into the list that does not contain one of those conditions, but still contains one of the other two, thus making the playlist pointless.

If you are limited on space, or you just don't want your playlist to be too huge, you can set a limit. In this particular example, we are limiting the playlist to the 250 most recently added items (tracks). You can also limit by size, as opposed to number of items. For example, say you were trying to fill a 4 GB iPod Nano, you could limit your playlist to 3500 MB (3.5 GB). Make sure you have some space remaining for other data on your iPod. Checking the 'Live updating' box, ensures that your playlist will stay up to date. As you add new music to your collection, the playlist will update for you.

The following picture indicates what the configuration of the smart playlist should look like. As mentioned, some aspects can be changed to suit your needs, but this should give you a general idea. Click the picture for a larger view.

Now, we have a playlist set up that provides you with only the most recent songs that you want to hear, and none of the music that you don't want. However, due to the limitation, whether it be by size or by number of items, you may have cut some of the older works of your favorite artists. Regardless of how long ago the songs were added to your library, you may want them to always show up in your playlist.

To ensure that these songs are always available to you, we can create a second playlist. This time the conditions will specify a list of artists. For this example, we will use the conditions, 'Artist is Paramore', 'Artist is Jay Z', and 'Artist is Linkin Park'. We want to make sure we are matching 'any of the following rules', as it will guarantee us, that in order for a song to appear in this playlist, it must contain any of the artists listed. We also want to un-check the Limit box. This will ensure that every song by each artist is included in the playlist. Keep 'Live updating' checked, so that as you add songs to your library, they will be added to this playlist.

So, now you have two playlists set up. One that defines what Genres to exclude, and one that indicates specific Artists to include. Of course, the concept of having two separate playlists is not very appealing. If only there were a way to take the results of both playlists and merge them together. Actually, this can be accomplished quite easily by creating a third and final smart playlist.

Finally, your goal is to take both playlists and merge them together. This time, define your conditions to state, Playlist is 'Genre Playlist' and Playlist is 'Artist Playlist'. This may vary based on what you named your first two playlists. Also, be sure 'match any of the following rules', and do not set a limitation. Basically what you have here, is a playlist that takes the results of the first two playlists and combines them into one.

There you have, one playlist that should meet all your essential music listening needs. Of course, everyone is different and we all have our own preferences when listening to our music. I highly encourage you to experiment with smart playlists, and see what kind of gems you can create. If you have any suggestions, or would like to share your own smart playlists, please share in the comments.

Top Tech Weekly Round Up 3

2008-02-07T18:37:00.000-06:00

This week in tech, we discuss cable cutting, corporate love triangles, a gluttony of gaming, and an old fashioned Cupertino round-up.

We often joke about our internet being made up of a series of tubes. However, sometimes we don't realize how vulnerable our internet really is. This week, South Asia and the Mid East suffered significant service outages, due to undersea fiber optic cables being mysteriously cut. The first incident occurred early in the week, when service was disrupted as two cables were found severed. Reports indicated that the incident may have been caused by a ship dragging its anchor. Since then, three more undersea cables have been cut, causing much speculation. The actual cause has yet to have been determined, however, three of the cables should be repaired by this weekend.

In a move that has many people talking, and many more scratching their heads, Microsoft has commenced a somewhat hostile takeover of internet giant, Yahoo. Earlier in the week Microsoft offered a 44.6 billion dollar bid to Yahoo's board of directors, in an attempt to merge the two companies. Yahoo has the opportunity to analyze and/or reject the bid, however, this could only prompt Microsoft to take more aggressive measures to seal the deal. Never one to keep silent, Google warned Microsoft that a merger of such magnitude seems a tad monopolistic. Microsoft responded back by reminding Google that they are the ones who have a monopolistic hold when it comes to internet territory. Meanwhile talks emerged of a Yahoo/Google partnership. Only the future will reveal the outcome of this love triangle. As I have said in the past, there is only one clear winner in the battle of corporate giants; the consumer.

Speaking of Microsoft, the price of their HD DVD addon for the XBox 360 has been cut to $129.99. Coupled with the existing offer of 6 free movies, it is definitely a purchase that pays for itself. But is there truly any price worth paying for an endangered technology? While you are at it, be sure to check out the three new XBox Originals available on the Marketplace.

Electronic Arts has recently shared its predictions for the 2008 gaming year. According to EA, Sony's PS3 will outsell the XBox by at least a couple million units throughout the US and Europe. Predictions for Japanese sales were not included, but Sony is a sure winner in the east, as the XBox has never really caught on over there. These claims may not be as bold as they seem, considering that it is only natural for Microsoft's sales to plateau eventually. It should be noted that EA did place both systems behind the Nintendo Wii.

As for the Wii, it seems as if Nintendo had a little case of patent fever. A number of patents that Nintendo filed back in May of 2006 have recently surfaced. These patents predate the launch of the Nintendo Wii, but they do show what Nintendo had in mind when it came to the Wiimote. Some of the designs are a bit odd, such as a bicycle with a Wiimote as a petal, or a skateboard with the controller lodged in one of the wheels. Even more strange is one diagram containing a teddy bear with the Wiimote submerged in his stomach. One can only hope that Nintendo patented these ideas so that nobody else could release such products and sully the gaming console. The original patent can be found here.

Shelled out an extra $1,300 for the solid state drive for your MacBook Air? Seems to be money well wasted. Reports show that there is almost no speed or battery life boosts when using the more expensive storage solution. Speaking of storage, Apple has released new versions of the iPhone and iPod Touch, with 16 and 32 GB hard drives, respectively. Both retail for $499. The appleTV update still has not been released, but it looks as if Apple is already thinking ahead with the product. Though Apple has the tendency to file patents that never see the light of day, these particular upgrades for the appleTV, including iChat, Widgets, amongst others, are sure hoped to come to fruition. Could Apple be planning their own version of an ebook reader? According to Steve Jobs, people don't read books anymore. Extremetech.com uses the power of reverse psychology to find hidden meaning in the words of the wise one. I'll believe it when I see it.

DVD Review: King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

2008-02-07T11:35:00.001-06:00

Just recently (as my Netflix Queue began to clear up), I was given the opportunity to experience the movie, King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. This independent documentary was released to small audiences in early 2007. It chronicle's the trials and tribulations of an unknown Steven Wiebe, as he attempts to break the world record high score in Nintendo's Donkey Kong. A road block stands in his way, in the form of the reigning record holder, and respected gaming veteran, Billy Mitchell. Billy had spent years making a name for himself in the gaming scene, as he holds recognized accomplishments in other classic arcade games, such as Centipede and Pac-Man. As expected, he is not willing to let his high score be relinquished so easily. The quest soon becomes a game of cat and mouse for Wiebe, as his challenge becomes more about earning his respect amongst the gaming community.

This movie takes you into an environment that few of us know existed. An environment where a whole community of old school videogame hobbyists thrive off of the competition that is brought forth by these classic arcade games. The sport is taken very serious, and there is much involved in topping an accomplished high score. An example of such, as shown in the movie, is when Steve Wiebe's home is invaded and his personal Donkey Kong arcade machine is dismantled so that the circuit boards can be inspected for foul play. This movie also does well to document the time and energy one must commit to mastering these challenging titles. To accomplish such a task, requires much timing perfection and pattern recognition. These games were created with the mindset that nobody would get past the first few levels. Thus when a dedicated gamer does reach far enough into the game, the console runs out of memory, and the character suddenly dies. This is what is referred to in the movie, as the very rare Kill Screen.

As the description may lead you to discover, this movie is not going to be enjoyed by everyone. Some may find it disturbing that there exists such a cult of grown men whom are bonded to the videogame scene in such a religious manner. However, if you have an interest in the videogame industry that goes beyond the XBox in your living room, this DVD is worth at least a rental. If anything, pick it up for the 8bit art and music collage that is thrown in as an extra feature. This movie is entertaining at best, however, don't expect any life-altering experiences to submerge.
I give this movie two m's out of four.

Out With The Old, In With The...Classic?

2008-02-04T22:41:00.003-06:00

There comes a time that occurs all too often in life. A time where every man has to make those life altering decisions. Sometimes those decisions contradict all common logic. Often times, these decisions will be met with criticism and slander. However, deep down, you know these decisions are right, and the results will serve for the betterment of mankind. Alright, perhaps that is an exaggeration, but at least you know you will benefit from the outcome.

Take me for instance. Just recently, I was faced with an incredibly difficult decision that tore me straight down the middle. See, in today's tech world, it is imperative that us tech-heads must stay on top of the latest and most cutting edge of technologies. We must be in possession of those devices that are the shiniest and slimmest. However, it is also important that we must know when to those weigh those seductive urges, and balance them against the benefits of functionality and sensibility. After weeks of struggling with my inner-demons, I did the unthinkable. I decided to trade in my iPod Touch for an iPod Classic.

Though both the iPod Touch and iPod Classic were unveiled on the same day, this decision to switch from the former to the latter, may be considered a technological step back. The iPod Touch has the elegant wide screen touch interface, internet access via 802.11, and all of the other features of the iPhone, sans phone calls. And the iPod Classic is well, an iPod. With a click wheel. And no touch screen. No internet.

So why the switch? Though the iPod Classic lacks some of those cool features that makes the iPod Touch such a treat, it is the simplicity of the Classic that makes it right for me. Sure it is nice to be able to scroll through coverflow with a swipe of your finger, or resize your pictures with a pinch of your thumb and forefingers. It is, however, not a treat to have to constantly pull that microfiber cloth out of your pocket to wipe away those smudges. If you have ever been in the situation, where you were listening to music on an iPod Touch and had someone come up to you and start conversating, then I am sure you are aware of the frustration of having to pause the player. Tap the home button to wake up the Touch, tap the home button twice more to bring up the play/pause options; oh wait, it didn't take that time, tap the home button two more times to successfully call the menu up, then look down at the screen to find the position of the pause button and perform one more tap. As opposed to a tradition click-wheel iPod, where you can reach in your pocket and hit pause button without even looking. Don't get me started on skipping songs. And, though the Touch's solid state drive may be more suitable for physical activities, such as working out at the gym, the touchscreen makes it almost unusable in those situations.

Which then brings me to the storage capacity. Now, I'm completely fine with having only 8 or 16GB of hard drive space. I think the concept of limited storage forces upon you, ways to tap into your creative side and come up with some really intelligent smart-playlists. However, where the Classic really shines is at times like when you are at a friends house and you just need them to hear a song to settle a dispute. Or to put your friends on to an artist that they may be missing out on. You know that you own that song, but darn, it didn't make its way into the playlist on your iPod. Another example of needing ample storage space, is for people like me that like to listen to the iPod while driving a car, via an Auxiliary or USB port on your radio. It is very inconvenient to be limited to a select amount of songs during your road trip. I am also not a fan of being able to have only two or three movies available, since it shares that storage space with everything else on your iPod. That would not be feasible for a trip that may last more than a couple of days.

What about all the other cool features of the iPod Touch? Yes, it is very nice to have a wifi enabled web browser in the palm of your hands. However, unlike the iPhone, the iPod Touch is not powered by the all encompassing Edge network. Thus, to browse the internet, you must be in range of an 802.11 wireless access point. I can't speak for everyone, but 99% of the time I am in an area with wifi access, I also have access to a computer of some sort. Perhaps if the Touch took advantage of the wireless capabilities in creative ways, like the Zune (wireless syncing, music sharing) for example, then I would consider the Touch a must have. As for contact and calendar syncing, it is often overlooked, but the iPod Classic, as well as many of the older generations of iPods, have that feature built in.

As a previous iPod 5G user, I must say that the iPod Classic is a nice upgrade from the older players. The interface is slick and intuitive. It is a neat feature to see previews of cover art or photos as you are browsing through the different directories. The new search feature comes quite in handy for those times that you can remember the name of a song, but not the artist. The video quality is exceptional as usual, and I can't wait to try out the games that are available for the Classic.

Though I may be out of 'touch' with the latest technologies, I feel the benefits and simplicity of the iPod Classic outweighs the elegance of the iPod Touch.

Top Tech Weekly Round Up 2

2008-01-31T10:32:00.000-06:00

This week we discuss such topics as, Cloverfield becoming reality, whispers in the dark, cult vs cult, strange alliances and power plays, and more non-news than you can shake a stick at.

The end is nigh! CNN is reporting that a large U.S. spy satellite is spinning out of control, and it is a matter of time before it crashes down on the Earth's surface. The moment of impact is estimated to be only a couple months away, but the amount of damage that may be caused is unknown. Information is classified, but it is believed that the satellite may contain hazardous chemicals. Anybody who has seen the movie Cloverfield knows that nothing good can come out of this!

A new controversy is in our midsts, and it has been dubbed The Romney Whisper. During a republican debate that took place late last week, an audible whisper can be heard while candidate Mitt Romney was responding to a question. NBC's Tim Russert asked a question pertaining to whether or not Mitt would do what Ronald Regan did to solidify social security. Immediately following the question, a soft voice can be heard, stating "he raised taxes", thus revealing the question to be a bait. Right on target, Mitt Romney replied "I will not raise taxes". Was somebody feeding Romney the answers? MSNBC claims it was just an open mic in the audience that picked up on the whisper; which makes almost no sense. A very similar incident happened a couple nights later. You be the judge: whisper one, and whisper two.

A new favorite amongst the tech crowd, Virgin Airlines, has managed to earn themselves some more cool points. Along with providing customers with in-flight on-demand movies, live tv, videogames, wifi, and other innovative features, Virgin Airlines has announced a distribution deal with Revision3. Starting in march, programming from Revision3.com will be available on flights all across America. This now gives Virgin Airlines a stronger foothold in the tech savvy business world. This partnership is also important for Revision3, as all of their programming is offered for free, whether it is streaming from their site or downloaded to your hard drive. Sponsorships and advertisements can only bring in so much money.

If there is one group of religious cultivists that you don't want to mess with, it is the Church of Scientology. If there is one group you don't want to mess with even more than them, it is the online hacker community. The Church of Scientology has a history of sending cease and desist letters to whomever may slightly slander them on the internet. They may have taken it one step too far, as they recently forced websites to pull a leaked video of Tom Cruise discussing the religion. Believing this to be a direct violation of freedom of speech, a group of hackers calling themselves the Anonymous, launched a denial of service attack at the Church's website. The Church of Scientology has since moved their site to a more secure host, but the Anonymous claim this is only the beginning. They are looking to build their numbers, and continue the movement. The question is, which group has more power? At the time of this blog post, Anonymous's website, partyvan.info, has been pulled. Their manifesto can still been seen here.

While the nail has long been put in the coffin of the HD DVD format, Microsoft is not making matters any better for the HD DVD camp. Since CES, there have been rumors of Microsoft releasing a Blu Ray add-on for the XBox 360. Microsoft exec, Jeff Bell, seems to confirm this possibility, as he claims they have been in talks with the Blu Ray camp for quite some time. Jeff express his belief that the technology in the XBox 360 can be applied to further enhance the Blu Ray experience, in the same vein of HD DVD. While some naysayers may immediately dismiss this notion on the basis that Sony, Microsoft's competitor in the videogame industry, would profit off of this partnership. However, as Jeff points out, this is no different than Sony selling notebooks with the Windows Operating System installed.

In what seems to be a fierce power play, Amazon has announced that they are ready to take their mp3 store global. The Amazon store already has an advantage over the iTunes Music Store, as every track sold on Amazon is not only DRM free, but is also cheaper than their iTunes equivalents. A global Amazon store will potentially reach more international consumers than iTunes, and the lack of DRM guarantees that it will be welcomed with a warm embrace. One would think that Apple must pull something out of their sleeves in order for them to stay competitive. Things don't seem to be getting better for them, as right before this blog was posted, Amazon purchased Audible.com, whom was the sole distributor of audiobooks through iTunes.

Now for the non-news. Speaking of Apple, the MacBook Air is starting to trickle in to stores and homes. However, don't expect the specially designed Intel chip to stay exclusive for long. Meanwhile, the appleTV update has been delayed for another week or two (dratz!). It is restructuring time for Dell, as they will be abandoning their US stores and kiosks, to allow retailers like Best Buy and Walmart to handle the burden. If you are a PSP owner, don't forget to run a software update so that you can start making Skype calls on your handheld. Lastly, have you purchased your own mimobot yet? How could you resist the cuteness?

T minus 1 day and counting...

2008-01-30T10:55:00.001-06:00

Set your DVRs, schedule your Tivos, program your VCRs (I know you're out there), for we are one day away from the return of arguably the greatest drama series ever. That's right, tomorrow marks the season 4 premier of Lost. Last time we seen our favorite castaways, they had just one-upped The Others, and phoned home for rescue. Apparently the supposed saviors on the freighter a few miles off shore, are not all they are cracked up to be. It looks like the Losties may have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Unfortunately, due to the writers strike, we are compromised with an 8 episode season, that apparently ends abruptly. The way I see it, some Lost is better than no Lost. ,~~Meanwhile, take the opportunity to get caught up on some Lost Mobisodes that have been released during the hiatus.~~ Be sure to check out the 13th, and final episode of the series, that is sure to blow your mind. Thanks to darkufo for the player...

Battle of the Books

2008-01-29T14:47:00.000-06:00

It has been only two weeks since Steve Jobs announced the MacBook Air at MacWorld '08. Though it has not yet reached our homes, there is much criticism and skepticism surrounding Apple's newest addition to its line of notebooks. While it is undeniable that Apple has produced one of the most elegant and brilliantly engineered technological advancements of our time, it is this very elegance that brings with it, disappointment and disapproval from long time mac supporters. The general consensus amongst the tech crowd, is that mac enthusiasts were hoping for a compact-esque version of the MacBook Pro; one without sacrificing functionality or imposing frustrating limitations. Perhaps, something similar to the 12" PowerBook of yesteryear. Below, is a comparison chart, showcasing the tech specs of both models in question. Click on the chart for a larger view...

As you can see, the 12" PowerBook, released in early 2003, acts as proof that compact-ability can be achieved without sacrifice. While thinness may help a notebook look slick and refined, I would much rather have the ports that are available with the 12" PowerBook. Are we to assume that in five years, the only enhancements we have made in the field of 1.8" hard drive technology, was a 20 GB leap in data capacity? And, despite what Mr. Jobs may believe, a 12" display is not too small. Furthermore, let us, the consumer, decide what is too small and what is not.

The Top Tech Weekly Round Up

2008-01-24T18:08:00.000-06:00

The following blog post is intended to be the first of many, in a reoccurring segment where we summarize the top tech stories of the week. This week, we discuss the insecurities of the Xbox 360, the true leader in digital movie content, the awakening of Yahoo and what it means for its employees, the ever opinionated Mark Cuban, the first thoughts on the MacBook Air, and the $1 cup of coffee.

Early in the week, 8bitjoystick.com released an interview with a Microsoft insider, whom contributed to the creation of the Xbox 360. In the interview, the insider reveals that Microsoft's 360 team was under-resourced, under-experienced, and under-staffed. M$ was in such a hurry to beat Sony and the PS3 out the gate, that they ignored recognized design flaws and skimped on quality testing. There are many factors that can contribute to the all elusive Red Rings of Death, and although it will most likely occur early in the products life cycle, it can happen at any time. The failure rate of the console has dropped from around 30% for the earliest iterations, to around 10% for the current design, thanks to smaller and more heat efficient processors. The insider was also kind enough to inform us that the external cooling fans only make matters worse, and that Microsoft is already working on the next generation Xbox. Please Microsoft, don't rush!

PC World ran an article comparing the sales of Blu-Ray and HD DVD, now that Blu-Ray has gained (re: bought) a huge majority of studio exclusivity. Author, Melissa Perenson points out the fact that Blu-Ray has always out-sold HD DVD, almost at a 2-1 ratio, and that only further motivated studios to jump on the Blu-Ray bandwagon. What Melissa failed to mention (though MacDailyNews did for her), was that digital downloads of movies, more specifically those of the iTunes variety, outsold both high definition formats. Despite the near DVD quality of the iTunes movies, Apple sold three times as many movies as HD DVD titles, and one million more than Blu-Ray in two months less. One could only imagine that integer will increase as Apple moves towards movie rentals and takes 2 with the appleTV.

While on the topic of Apple and digital content, it appears that Apple and NBC/Universal are starting to cozy up to one another again. Last Summer, the two corporations had a falling out over Apple's television show distribution model, and their unwillingness to budge in terms of variable pricing. Earlier this week, Financial Times published an interview with Jeff Zucker, chief executive of NBC/Universal. In the interview, Jeff discusses how NBC is getting along quite well during the writers strike, due to viewer fascination with cost-effective reality shows. When asked about their relation with Apple, Jeff responded by stating that they admire Apple, and want to be in business with them; they are "great fan's of Steve Jobs". On the other side of the fence, Business Week posted an interview with Steve Jobs, where the founder of Apple predicts that their stalemate with NBC/Universal "won't last forever", and they'll "put it back together on the TV thing." Apparently both companies realized how much they need each other, as NBC's television shows made up for 40% of all shows sold on the iTunes store. Since departing, NBC has done very poorly on the digital content distribution, as witnessed by the sub par Hulu.com.

Meanwhile, it appears that Yahoo is beginning to see the light and realize that throwing money around aimlessly will not get them ahead of their rival, Google. The New York Times reports that Yahoo is expected to lay-off hundreds of employees in an attempt to bounce back financially and reassess their focus. The total number of employees has not been determined, but Yahoo stated that they plan to invest in some areas while reducing emphasis in others. The timing couldn't be better for the company, as their stocks are reaching new lows, and Google is slipping further ahead. The last time Yahoo had sizable lay-offs was during the dot-com crash of 2001.

Never one to hold his tongue, Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban has posted a blog on Cnet.com, expressing his opinion on the current state and trends of music sales. Mark controversally states that the album is dead and musicians should rethink their distribution model. In today's digital age, consumers are more willing to spend 99 cents a week for 10 weeks, as opposed to $10 at one time. We have become accustomed to the ability of choosing which tracks from an album we would like to purchase. With this philosophy, artists should focus on releasing individual tracks on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, while benefiting from a subscription-like model. Cnet's own Steve Guttenberg pleads with musicians not to follow this path, as it threatens to break the tradition that has helped make music what it is today. Nobody would have dared to buy Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band one track at a time.

It has only been one week after the always eyebrow-raising Macworld, and the first round of reviews of the MacBook Air are starting to creep in. Journalists at the nations top publications were amongst the few who were blessed with early release units. Reviewers consisted of The Wall Street Journal's, Walt Mossberg, USA Today's, Ed Baig, and Newsweek's, Steven Levy. Apple Insider does a good job of summarizing the opinions, which are generally agreed on amongst the reviewers. The MacBook Air is elegant and a pleasure to use. The display is wonderful, and the keyboard is no slouch. However, overall the reviewers were turned off by the MacBook Air's limitations. The lack of external ports requires you to carry around extra hubs and adapters, thus contradicting the goal of portability. The Remote Disc works well, but is still limited enough to where you will need to purchase the additional usb optical drive. The battery life is acceptable, but not near what Apple touted. As fashionable as the MacBook Air may be, Apple seems to have missed the mark this time around. In today's depressing economy, who is willing to invest in this elegance?

Though America's favorite drink may not necessarily be tech related, it does go hand in hand. Starbucks, the company made synonymous with the $4 cup of Joe, is now offering a $1 cup of coffee, as well as free refills of some of its current offering's. The Wall Street Journal reports that the coffee giant is experimenting with this new idea in select locations in the Seattle area. The new low-cost offerings are believed to be a strategic move against McDonalds, whom wants in on Starbuck's market grip. There is always only one clear winner in the battle of corporate giants, the consumer.

Cloverfield Review (spoiler free)

2008-01-20T20:29:00.000-06:00

We may be only three weeks into 2008, but the J.J. Abrams Sci-Fi thriller, Cloverfield (Bad Robot/Paramount), is already a nominee for most anticipated movie of the year. The hype began in July 2007, after movie goers witnessed a very subtle and mysterious trailer that was previewed before Transformers. For months, the title of the film was unknown, as the viral advertisements commenced in true J.J. Abrams fashion. Did this unique first person-esque, camcorder style movie live up to its hype?

The level of enjoyment you will get out of this movie depends entirely on what you expect from it. Cloverfield is at best an experience, not an involvement. You, as the movie watcher, are experiencing the horror and hope for survival, that the cast of characters are subjected to. Though it is unquestionable that this thrill ride keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout its entirety, never do you truly feel involved with the characters. Never do you get the opportunity to get to know the cast, thus never giving you an emotional attachment. Perhaps it is most appropriate that this movie begins with a friendly get-together, because you can't help but feel that you were just invited along for the ride. If you are fine with this, and are expecting nothing more than an hour and 24 minute thrill ride, then you will not be disappointed.

Just a note of warning; as mentioned, this movie is filmed mostly in a first person-esque style, achieved through the eye of a camcorder. As you can imagine, the characters do a lot of running around, and that makes for much bouncing and shaking. Do not watch this movie if you suffer from motion sickness! I find that I am not particularly susceptible to the symptoms of motion sickness, however, even I couldn't help but feel a bit queasy through some of the intense scenes. This may also be attributed to the fact that I had nothing but Raisinets and Monster Energy Drink in my system at the time.

Cloverfield may not win 'best movie of the year', but are we really expecting it to? I give it 3 m's out of 4.

The MacWorld 2008 Keynote Report Card

2008-01-19T11:03:00.000-06:00

Now that the dust has settled, and the reality distortion field has worn off, let us take the opportunity to look back at Steve Job's MacWorld 2008 Keynote. Follow along as we break down each of the announcements and subject them to the ever rigorous elementary school style grading scale.

#1: Time Capsule

Steve's first objective on stage was to address an issue that has been around since the launch of Leopard. More particularly, the feature known as Time Machine. Before the launch of Leopard, we were promised the ability to utilize the usb port on an Airport Extreme Base Station to make wirelessly syncing our backups easier than ever. For some reason or other, that feature was pulled at the last second. Though there are ways to activate this feature, it involves a little too much hackory for the common man. In comes the product known as Time Capsule, combining an Airport Extreme Base Station, with a server grade hard drive. Weighing in at $299 for 500 GB, or $499 for 1 TB, the Time Capsule comes off as a bargain, as it also packs in 802.11n wireless networking, as well as a three port Gigabit Ethernet router. However, most of us consumers already own a wireless router and a hard drive of some fashion. Why can't we utilize what we already own? Was this feature pulled intentionally, so that Apple could make a quick buck further down the road? Until a patch is available to us, I must believe so.

Awesome product Steve, but don't force me to use it. Grade: B-

#2: The iPhone

Our second announcement comes in the form of a software upgrade for Apple's favorite hand-held, the iPhone. With this upgrade, Apples has blessed iPhone users with some great new additions. The first, comes in the form of a gps-like tracking feature built into Google Maps. Though this feature does not use satellites, our geographical position is determined by the combined usage of cell towers and wifi hotspots. Other features include the ability to customize the home screen(s) by adding web bookmarks and rearranging the icons. Apparently there was high demand for the ability to send sms text messages to multiple recipients; Apple has been kind enough to include this feature with the update. The movie watching experience on the iPhone has now been enhanced by allowing chapter selection, subtitles, as well as multiple language support. For those of you who like to use your iPhone as your personal karaoke machine, song lyrics are now displayed as you listen to your music.

With these new features, it grows apparent that Apple is listening to its customers. With such a high ratio of jailbreakers and unlockers, Apple is taking the time to improve its product and enhance its functionality. What an effective way to have your customers play nice with your product! In my personal experience, I have witnessed quite a few iPhone users unjailbreak their iPhones to experience this new upgrade. Those that did, were treated with a couple of unmentioned additions. Seemingly, if your unlocked iPhone has been previously bricked by Apple, update 1.1.3 will unbrick your iPhone and restore it back to working condition. 1.1.3 also brings with it, the ability to manually manage your media, thus allowing you to drag and drop content to your iPhone.

Bravo Steve, this is what firmware updates should be about. Now, how about some copy and paste? Grade: A

#2.5: The iPod Touch

Thanks Steve; take all the excitement I just expressed over your last announcement and stomp it into the mud. Sure, the iPod Touch gains all of the new functionality of its big brother, the iPhone. However, it also gets to play catch-up... at a price. Originally, the iPod Touch did not ship with the iPhone associated apps, such as, Mail, Stocks, Weather, etc. If we want to add those applications it will cost us $20. What??? Yes, I understand that this charge may be due to an accounting issue (screw you sarbanes-oxely) that also plagued them during the 802.11n upgrades. But Steve, how can you look us in the eye and ask us to pay for these features, when they now come pre-installed on the iPod Touch at no extra charge? Now, we are faced with the dilemma of keeping our device jailbroken, or upgrading and being forced to pay for these apps. I think I will stick with the former.

Thanks Steve, but no thanks. Grade: D

#3: Itunes Movie Rentals

I will admit I am a big advocate of downloadable content, video on demand, IPTV, and whatever else you want to call it. However, I will also admit that I have never purchased a movie from the iTMS. $14.99 for a standard quality movie plagued with DRM is a little too rich for my blood. I can purchase a DVD at Walmart for that price, and have a physical format with special features and the like. The ability to rent movies from the iTMS is a no brainer for Apple, and I am glad they are finally rolling it out. Prices range from 2.99 to 3.99 for standard def, and 3.99 to 4.99 for high def. You can keep the movie for 30 days, but once you start watching the movie, you have 24 hours to finish it. One thing that could have really hurt this announcement was lack of studio support. Fear not, Apple's movie rental system has support from pretty much every major movie studio.

Though it sounds like a great deal, unfortunately there is much detail to be discussed in the fine print. Though high definition movies are available, you can only purchase them on the appleTV. Mediaphiles may be disappointed that the high definition content caps out at 720p. Apples boasted the ability to transfer your movies to your hand-held devices, however this only applies to current generation iPods. Meaning, if you own any iPod over a year old, you are out of luck. Some of us may not want to be hampered by this 24 hour rule. Fortunately (as of now), there is a workaround.

Good improvement, guaranteed to be more successful than previous movie store attempts. A little heavy on the technicalities. Grade: B+

#3.5: appleTV

What was once called a hobby by Steve Jobs is now getting a second lease on life. No longer does the appleTV act as an iTunes extender. No longer do you need to sync or stream movies from your mac or PC. The appleTV can now act as a stand-alone set-top box for your high definition television. Hobbyists can now browse the iTunes store and purchase content from the comfort of their couches. As mentioned, you can now rent high definition movies on the appleTV, however, those movies cannot be synced back to your mac or PC. Photo fanatics can now connect to their .mac or flickr accounts and show off their photo collections. Podcasts can now be watched without having to download or subscribe. Best of all, it is a free upgrade (no accounting issues?) to all current appleTV owners. Expect me to do a full review when the update is rolled out.

Woo hoo, the appleTV is not dead yet! Let's keep the updates and innovations coming. Grade: A

#4: MacBook Air

This announcement perplexes me the most. Is it supposed to be a ultra-portable MacBook? Is it a light-weight MacBook Pro? Though it is incredibly thin, it has a wider footprint than other Apple notebooks. It is too underpowered to be taken serious by power users. What you do get, is the worlds thinnest computer, at a max thickness of 0.76 inches. You also get a 13.3" backlit LED display, full-size backlit keyboard, and a Multi-touch gesture trackpad, a first for Apple. The trackpad allows for iPhone-like touch controls. Expect it to be included in all future Apple notebooks. The display is backlit, so it is great for battery life and excellent for photography buffs. However, with only a 1.6 GHz Intel Core2Duo chip inside, and a max of 2 Gb of RAM, the machine is considerably underpowered. I can understand the push for everything wireless, but only one USB port? An analog only headphone jack? No firewire? The additional USB superdrive is reasonably priced, but is rumored to only work with the MacBook Air. However, the demoed ability to wirelessly borrow another mac or PC's superdrive is pretty cool and promising.

There is no denying that what Apple has unveiled is an engineering masterpiece. It should stand as the influence of many future technological innovations. However, I feel Apple missed the mark with this product. I would have been happy with a sufficiently powered, 12" MacBook Pro with a backlit display. The MacBook Air is too under powered, fragile, and limited for my tastes. Though, if you do decide to purchase one, be sure to pick up the essential hand crafted Manila Envelope Sleeve.

Good concept, but should have stayed just that, a concept. Let's work on improving our already existing line of consumer products. Grade: C-

After all is said and done, MacWorld 2008 has been an somewhat revolutionary, but mostly evolutionary step for Apple. We, as consumers, all left with mixed emotions towards the keynote. Love it or hate it, one thing remains guaranteed; we will be glued to our seats come MacWorld 2009.